


Sweet Treatment

by FoxInTheHenHouse



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/F, Medical
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-11-04 11:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10990191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxInTheHenHouse/pseuds/FoxInTheHenHouse
Summary: Follow Dr. Sarah "Sundae" Hopps as she heals the sick and injured in Zootopia's largest hospital while also trying to survive her relationship with her bubbly brown bunny girlfriend, Trisha Rose. Picks up alongside my big hit story 'A Bunny CAN Go Savage' Mature content including graphic medical procedures and sexual elements. Primarily an O/C fic





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of Sweet Treatment. A story following Dr. Sarah Hopps and her girlfriend Trisha Rose, AO3's recently voted No. 1 O/C couple (The ballots were lost but I was told it by someone who knows a friend of an admin).
> 
> Special thanks to Bluelighthouse for allowing me to continue Sundae and Trisha's beautiful story from 'A Bunny CAN Go Savage.' (Bluelighthouse is Trisha's original creator)
> 
> HUGE thanks to OceRydia for the wonderful cover art they have created for this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia, but if I did these two would totally be characters in the next film. Now excuse me. *googles breaking into concrete vaults*

With each new spring there would always be a new treasure trove of wildflowers just waiting to be plucked from the soil. Fresh new scents for one to enjoy and immerse themselves in. To deeply sniff the pleasant fragrance as the breeze carried it along the hills and valleys. It was an experience that many lost interest in as they grew older. Time to 'stop and smell the roses' became less meaningful as responsibilities filled the day and that which was seen as more 'important' tended to squeeze out the simple things that once brought joy to them.

Immune to this phenomenon, at least for a time, were children. It was the innocence of the young that allowed them to see flowers as more than a pretty decoration and instead see the life within them. To feel the wavy stems that blew in the breeze. To touch the soft petals that came in so many beautiful colors. To watch as the new morning would let them bloom into the day. It was children who would see the beauty and marvel at what adults would overlook and ignore. And so it was a child that stood on a hill, picking wildflowers to add to a special bouquet they were going to give their mother.

Humming to herself, Sarah Hopps skipped along the grassy knoll, stopping as she found unique colors to add to her surprise for her mother. She knew that working the carrot stand, especially during the Carrots Day festival, was a really hard job and always made her tired by the end of the day. So she decided that she would do something to make her day that much better. Already she had added more than thirty flowers to her original daisy, but even though it was big enough already, she couldn't but pick one more with a such a pretty color. And then another. And another. She knew that if she didn't get a hold of herself that she would need two paws to carry it and that seemed a little excessive to the eight year-old.

Satisfied with her now very large bouquet, Sarah decided it was time to head home and find a vase for her special surprise. On a normal day, heading home would be something of a scary and saddening experience for the young doe. But with nearly all of her siblings out at the festival and the house almost empty, she figured it would not be so bad.

Coming over the crest, she was surprised to see the road was not empty as it had been since late morning. A solitary figure was walking the dusty road, head held high in the air. Sarah could tell it was a bunny by the height, and a young one at that, and prepared to climb back over the hill to avoid being seen. However, as the figure got closer, she saw that the rabbit's head was slightly misshapen. No, not misshapen. The bunny was wearing a hat. One that she had seen just the night before hanging in the closest of her closest friend in the world. "Judy!"

Shocked by the sudden voice, the gray rabbit wearing a homemade police costume whipped her head around to match a face with the voice. Spying the sudden tumbling form up ahead of her, she let out a large smile and jogged over to the struggling mass at the base of the hill. "Hey Sarah. What are you doing out here?" Bending down, she took her younger sister's paw and hauled her upright. "Shouldn't you be at the festival?"

Even though she was only eight, Sarah still had a piercing gaze that struck right through you. It was one born out of necessity as a way to ward off some of the harsher elements of her life. For Judy, it made her feel ashamed for having brought it up. "You know why I'm not, sis." Wincing at the sadness in Sarah's voice, Judy glanced around wildly, hoping to change the subject and get her sister's mind off of her troubles. Her eyes landing on the wildflowers in her paw, the petals only slightly damaged on a few of them from the tumble, she brought her attention to them.

"Are those for me?" she teased, knowing quite well that Sarah would not have risked leaving the safety of her room just to pick flowers for her. However the distraction did seem to do the job. Sarah's eyes wandered back to the bouquet, grinning wide at her accomplishment. I wish she could always be this way, Judy mused, enjoying the rare smile she was seeing on her sister's lips.

"No silly, they're for mom. I figured it would be nice for her at...the end of...the...Judy! What happened to your face?!" Slapping a paw up to cover her cheek, Judy quickly turned the other direction, hoping to keep her little sister from seeing the worst of it all. In interacting with her, the gray doe had inadvertently turned too far, exposing the scratches she had wished to hide until she could get home and patch herself up before her parents saw.

"It's nothing, Sarah. Don't worry about it. Just a small scratch. I uh, wasn't paying attention and I...umm...I walked into one of the display signs." Even to her own mind that sounded pathetic and she wasn't surprised when her sister didn't seem to accept the explanation.

"Judy, those are claw marks. Something happened with that Gideon, didn't?" Known as the biggest bully around town, he always had it in for Judy, oftentimes mocking her for thinking differently. Sarah was also one of his favorite targets. She was an easy pick as there was almost no one would come to her rescue. But beyond some shoving, she had never seen him angry enough to claw someone. "You know what, don't answer that. I know it was him."

"You can't tell mom and dad." The sheer panic coming from her big sister made her pause in thought. Sarah wasn't a tattletale. She mainly kept to herself in and out of the burrow. If she saw something dangerous she would alert her parents right away, usually earning the scorn of her siblings though that wasn't anything new to the young doe. Judy though, Judy was different. She was one of only a handful of her family that would defend her. Take the time to play with her or talk with her. If she wanted this to remain a secret, she would keep it, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to help.

Catching the gray paw in her own, Sarah started heading down the road. "C'mon. I'm gonna help you clean up before mom and dad see." While she was always bothered about going back to the burrow, Sarah wasn't about to let her sister walk around bleeding when she knew how to take care of it. Judy simply followed along, letting the younger bunny, though only by one litter Sarah would constantly remind her, lead her home.

Getting inside the house was very easy for the two bunnies. It was mostly deserted. The festival was one of the few they had each year so it tended to draw quite a large crowd who were all eager to visit the stalls and go on an occasional ride, their siblings included. Making their way to the upper bathroom, Sarah went straight to the first aid kit, pulling down the large box with some difficulty until Judy came over to help. Together, they lowered the rather ungainly box to the floor, making sure to keep everything from falling out.

Digging through the organized mess was somewhat of a pain. If Sarah was in charge of the 'magical box' as she liked to think of it as, she would make sure it was completely organized so that everything could be gotten quickly. "Okay, I think we have two options but you're not gonna like either one, I think."

"Just lay it on me, sis. I'm a big doe." She wasn't too concerned with what the treatment would be, only that she didn't want her family to find out. All she needed was to give them extra ammo to throw at her about how dangerous being a cop was. She already suspected she'd be fighting their fears for a very long time to come.

"Okay...um, this one," Sarah laid a jar of brown goop on the floor in front of them, "this one will heal it pretty much completely but you'll have to wear this." The gauze pad seemed innocuous but Judy knew it would give away the fact that she had been in a fight, though as one sided as it had been she didn't think it really qualified as one.

"Mom and dad would know something bad happened. It has to be something that they won't notice."

"Okay. That brings us to the other idea." Bringing out a small jar, the young doe unscrewed the cap to show a paste of pale green and a faint odor of dandelions. "I saw mommy put this on dad once when he got cut on the tractor. It closes up cuts really fast and you don't need to cover it up, but it doesn't heal like the other one does. You'll have scars on your cheek."

That made the slightly older bunny pause. Did she really want something to remind her of a childhood bully for her entire life? It wouldn't matter, she finally decided. They weren't going to change what she wanted to be, and she doubted they would ever really impact her life. However her parents finding out about it could cause a problem down the road. "Let's do this one." Handing her sister the pale green paste, she sat on the step stool next to the sink so she could reach her face properly.

Taking a generous amount of the green goop in her paws, Sarah began rubbing it beneath Judy's fur, making sure to get it deep into the skin. While the slashes had long since stopped bleeding, the skin was still rather raw and could split open if enough force was applied. After the ministrations of her sister however, they seemed to be sealed up. None of the damaged flesh was visible any longer. "Oh Sarah, this looks great! Mom and dad will never know!"

"Well, they still might find out. The paste has a slight odor and if mom or dad notice it they'll know what you used and you know how mom is about getting us to spill our beans." Both does shuddered at the idea of trying to hide it from their mother. They could usually run a lie over their dad pretty easily but their mother could spot a lie from a corn field away.

"How long until thats gone?"

"The smell? Like three days, I guess? Should be healed in a week. Dad's took two but that's because mom caught him working on the tractor again when he was supposed to not work." They knew that their father would keep working with a broken leg in the middle of a tornado. Farming was his passion, something neither of them shared.

"You know, Sarah," Judy started fixing her police cap back on her head, making sure it was straight in the mirror, "You seem to know your stuff." Turning back with a smile on her face, her purple eyes found her sister's shocking pink. "Maybe you should be a doctor. Maybe we can both make the world a better place. What do you say?"

A broad smile across her young sister's face was all the answer she needed.

Later that evening, Sarah found herself wandering the burrow halls, the idea Judy had given her being the only thing wandering through her mind. She had never given much thought to what she wanted to do when she grew up before. She had mainly spent her days trying to fit in with her siblings until ultimately giving up only to start the futile attempt the next day.

"Hey, let's play hospital!" The sound of one of her brother's echoed out of the great room and into the hall she currently found herself in. Normally she tried to stay away from her siblings when they were in groups, individual siblings sometimes being a lot nicer. But after getting the idea of becoming a doctor in her head, she desperately wanted to play.

Timidly turning the corner, she approached the group currently pulling toy ambulances and dolls and toy stethoscopes from the chests. "Can I play?" Though she had hoped not to see this time as it happened every time before then, the sight of her siblings visibly freezing in place made her wince. She counted five bunnies who turned their head to stare at with distaste.. It was the first warning sign Sarah would pay attention to but she hoped that today would be the day they finally let her join in.

"I can be the doctor! Maybe I can practice for when I'm a real doctor when I grow up! And then I can make sure everyone here at home is healthy and-"

"You can't play." The words about the future died on her lips at the sneer of contempt on her brother's face. Michael was a couple a of litters older than her so his size was a bit daunting to the young, and slightly undersized, rabbit. He was also one of her siblings who was the most cruel to her.

"I-I can't?" Her voice was filled with resigned regret, the tone of someone used to being put down, especially over years of torment. It was also tinged with disappointment over her hopes once again being dashed at being accepted. The large form of her brother suddenly loomed over her as he stood. With a growl, he put his paws on her shoulders and shoved her, hard. Sprawling backward, she fell to the wooden floor, hurting her hip in the process. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes while she watched two more of her brothers stand and come up behind Michael, their arms folded across their chests and harsh looks on their faces. Her two sisters remained on the floor, continuing to pull out toys for their games, one with a look indifference to what was being done to her sister, the other giving Sarah a pitying look but saying nothing.

"Nobody wants to play with you. Nobody even wants you here, Sarah. We all hate you. Now go away." With that, they turned their backs on their injured sister, letting her lay on the floor in pain and misery. Sniffling but trying not to let the tears flow, Sarah stood and quickly made her way from the room. The previously deserted hallway was slowly filling up as the Hopps clan was returning from the festival for dinner.

Still shaken from her experience in the Great Room, Sarah tried to avoid as many of her family members as possible, hoping to not have to repeat the scorn and ridicule she had just been treated to. In her haste to flee, she did not notice her mother herding the children inside. Even with as many children as she had, Bonnie was always on top of each child and what was happening to each of them. Who had a bad day, who got an F in math, who was dating who, and especially when one of her kits was extremely upset, like her multi-colored daughter she saw fleeing down the corridor. Always worried about her special girl, Bonnie left the youngest ones in their older siblings care as she headed off after the young doe.

Following her was relatively easy. Sarah was not exactly being silent as she hid herself inside the walk-in linen closet, though Bonnie did not expect her to. Not with the amount of sadness she had seen on her face. Opening the door, she gazed upon her daughter, her black and gray ears visible over the white arms covering her face. Seating herself on the floor next to her, Bonnie slowly reached out and pulled her daughter in close. Sarah came the rest of the way, curling up into her lap and burying her face into her mother's stomach.

"Oh my sweet little girl. What's happened to make your beautiful face be stained with such large tears?" Bonnie knew what had most likely happened. It was something the poor doe lived through everyday of her life. No matter how many times she and her husband tried to make the other children understand that their sister was perfectly normal, they would not be dissuaded from the stupid superstition they had heard when she was born and since then from the elder rabbits around town. With every attempt to stop the notion from spreading, eventually the entire burrow was under the assumption that their sister would bring them pain and misery if they didn't shun her. Some even went so far as to get violent. It broke her heart every day to see her in tears and she spent nearly every night crying herself to sleep trying to think of some way to make her baby girl's life better.

Puffy eyes turned upwards, her bright pink eyes meeting her gaze. "Why do they hate me, mommy?" The sadness in her voice caused the matronly rabbit's breath to catch in her throat. "What did I do? Did I do something bad? Is that why everyone hates me?"

"Oh my sweet baby girl." Cuddling her as close to her chest as she possibly could, Bonnie stroked the different colored ears of her unique, young doe. "Sarah Hopps, you have done nothing wrong. Not once in your whole life have you done anything wrong. Not to anyone. You are the sweetest little girl in the whole world." Trying to gather herself so that she wouldn't see the pain in her own eyes, Bonnie lifted her chin, her eyes tracing over the black fur traveling along one side of her face while the rest was a pure white. "Honey, sometimes mammals are tested. It's not always right and it's not always fair, but it always makes them stronger than they ever would become without it. Your sister Judy is like that and look how driven she is to make the world a better place, no matter what she has to stand up against to do it." Stroking her daughter's ears that lay down her back, she continued, believing in her next words and making her believe in them too. "Sarah Hopps. All of the hardship you've been forced to endure, what your father and I haven't been able to protect you from, will make you stronger than you could ever believe. And one day, when you're ready, you my special little girl, will do great things."

* * *

 

16 years later...

Double doors crashed open as two EMTs rushed a gurney through. Their soaked jackets and the illuminated rain from the ambulance lights revealed the storm that had crept up on the city, catching most mammals unprepared. Met halfway down the hall by a small but energetic mammal wearing a white lab coat and a small group of nurses in blue scrubs, one of the EMTs handed off a chart to an intern shadowing the doctor.

"What do we got?" The question was fairly routine but it never failed to amaze any of the staff or the ambulance crews how commanding the small mammal could be despite her stature and species. Any and all doubts about how well this doctor could perform their duties went out the window that first shift so many months ago. Now there was nothing but respect in their eyes.

"Timber Wolf." The lead EMT, a large brown bear rattled off the details. "Mid to late twenties. Found collapsed outside Safe Harbor's Tavern. Unresponsive. Crashed twice on the way here. Vitals are erratic, blood pressure slowly dropping."

"Alright, get him into mid-OR three. Daniels, I want an EKG on this canine now. Gordon, get a crash cart in case this guy codes again." A young badger and a lynx nodded and took off down the hall. They passed by several rooms, noticing small mammals being treated for wounds or burns before turning the corner into the middle-size mammal wing, grabbing the third operating room down the hall. The two large EMT's as well as a polar bear nurse stood on the gurney sides.

"Ready? And one, two, three!" They slid him onto the surgical bed before removing the board and returning it to the gurney before wheeling the excess bed from the room.

"Alright, let's hook him up to vitals. I want a BP reading now. If he's been dropping since being picked up I want to know why. Newbie!" The intern that had been hovering behind the doctor gave a startled bleat, hesitating momentarily before moving to the doctor's side. "I want you to get his shirt and pants off. We need to examine him for any marks or bruising from a possible fall. Anything to explain his unconsciousness." Not one to argue, the hornless ram moved into action immediately, snatching up a pair of scissors and quickly making short work of the male's clothes.

"Doctor, BP still steadily dropping."

"What could be making it...drop..." A sudden thought, one of dread, flashed through the doctor's mind. "Newbie, check for a puncture. Any sort of hole. I want to know if there's blood matted anywh-"

"It's there." The team of nurses nearby all snapped their heads around to view what the intern was looking at, all blanching at the exposed wound that had been hidden by the waist of the mammal's jeans. Quickly moving over, the doctor dropped and examined the wound.

"Oh dammit. Alright everyone, we have what looks to be a stab wound. Shallow but bleeding steadily. May have nicked a vessel. I want four bags of canine blood in here NOW! If this guy's been bleeding since they picked him up we could be looking at significant blood loss." Turning to her staff, the doctor began quickly began giving orders. "Gordon, sterilize the wound. I'm gonna get in there and see what we're dealing with. Daniels. Daniels? Where the hell is Daniels?!"

The ram had slowly been acclimating to the intense situation unfolding around him but he quickly spoke up, knowing time was of the essence. "He went to get the blood."

The small mammal next to him nodded, her face stoic but her inner self proud at the initiative her nurse had shown. Though she would need to speak to him about following proper procedure, something he always had difficulty with. "Good. Good. We're gonna need it soon if I'm correct. Alright. Newbie, wheel the tray over here. I'm going in."

"Yes Dr. Hopps."

Jumping up onto the stool next to the table, the doe of many colors put her paws at the entrance to the wound. The wound may be a shallow and small to the wolf, but it was still large enough for Sarah to easily slip her paw inside and cautiously feel for any further damage. "Alright, this is deeper than I thought." Pulling back, she used a surgical lamp to peer inside, noting the blood pumping out from just behind the wall of pierced tissue. "Okay, he has a nicked vessel. Very small but if we don't get it closed he won't be getting out of this room with a happy ending."

At that moment a raccoon in blue scrubs burst through the door, four bags of blood clutched in his paws. "Got 'em, doc."

"Good. Get them hooked up and get some blood back in this wolf. Newbie. Clamps." Feeling the cold metal being slapped into her outstretched paw, Sarah quickly inserted them into the wound and pinched off the vessel, reducing the amount of blood he was losing. "Okay. Let's get that closed." It was several very intense minutes as Sarah used her small and dexterous paws to seal up the injury to the wolf's major vessel. Her team worked flawlessly, their training kicking into overdrive as they fought to save the mammal's life. Finally she pulled back with a relieved sigh. Her ram intern quickly wiped her brow, getting the sweat cleared so she could see properly. "Boy. That was a nasty one. Like trying to sew together a balloon with a pinhole leak. Okay, Pawlef," the arctic fox serving under the doctor snapped to attention, ready to act on any order she might be given. Sarah tried not to sigh at the new nurse transferred recently to her team. Her enthusiasm was admirable but sometimes she took it too far. "Clean him and sew him up. Daniels, I want you to assist her."

The two mammals got to work quickly as Sarah took a step back, watching their progress while stripping the bloody gloves off her paws. She had a good team. Competent, quick to act, always ready to go and listen to her orders. They had saved many lives together and this was another they could add to that list.

A loud beeping brought her out of her thoughts, her eyes moving towards the machines still attached to the wolf, watching as his heart rate spiked and then flat lined. "What the hell? Get me that crash cart!" Jumping back onto the stool, she watched as pads were attached to his chest. Grabbing the offered paddles, Sarah called out instructions. "Charge to two hundred. And CLEAR!" The sudden shock to his system had the wolf rising up off the bed, his heart returning to normal before plummeting back to a steady line. "Okay two fifty. Clear!" Once more the electricity surged causing the mammal's muscular system to flex throwing him upward. "Three hundred! CLEAR!" Again, there was no change. The mammal was now an empty shell and Sarah had to treat him as such. "Okay. That's it. I'm calling it. Note the T.O.D. Mammal expired at...11:37 PM. There's nothing more we can do here, team. Daniels, call the ZPD. Tell them they have a homicide on their paws. I'll meet with them when they arrive." Tossing her scrubs in the nearby waste bucket, the doe stalked down the hall and entered the doctors lounge. Seeing she was alone, she let out a heart wrenching shriek and slammed her fist into the nearby couch.

* * *

 

It was well past two in the morning before she arrived home. Speaking with the cops was never a fun ordeal as it usually involved the death of a patient or someone getting harmed by a criminal seeking medical attention. The last name 'Hopps' did gain her some respect from the officers, something that did not go unnoticed by her colleagues. She gave them all the information she could but they would need to wait until an autopsy could be done the next day. Eventually they bid her a good night and left the hospital, giving Sarah the time she needed to change and head home.

Opening her door, she glanced around to see an empty apartment greeting her. She knew that there were some nights when she would get home and be alone for a little while, however this night was one where she wished differently. Tossing her coat haphazardly at the rack, she didn't bother to pick it up as it crumpled to the floor. Her bag was also casually tossed to the side. The sudden pair of ears poking over the back of the couch did much to improve her mood, a smile brightening up her appearance, not feeling quite so alone against the world anymore. "I didn't think you'd be home yet."

The brown doe's face followed her ears as it rose to see the other rabbit. "I switched last hour shift with Em. I wasn't going to miss you coming home. Did that the last three nights already."

"I know, Trish. It's been a pretty hectic week." Her face suddenly turned cloudy at the thought of her last patient of the night, something Trisha picked up on immediately. They had been together long enough for each to be able to analyze even the tiniest of facial expressions, knowing when the other was being truthful or when one was hurting, much as the white doe was that night.

"What's wrong, Sarah? Is everything o-...Oh no." The doe was nothing if not clever and it took only the sight of her bunny's face and her slumped form to figure out what was wrong. "You lost one today, didn't you?" The mixed rabbit nodded. "Oh, come here, sweetie." Sarah moved towards her girlfriend and let her arms encircle her in a comforting embrace. It was what she needed but the sight of the dead wolf would not leave her mind, as every patient she lost would not.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," Sarah broke free of the arms holding her tight and headed for the safety of the water, Trisha sadly watching her go.

She was worried about her bunny's ability to move forward. It was her third loss in the last six months, but the fact that was a rather impressive record for an ER doctor, though it was a very sad thing to praise, was lost on her. She had felt each death as if it was the candle of a loved one suddenly being snuffed out and she knew it was affecting her. There had been several times through the months where Sarah would wake after having a horrendous nightmare, sobbing that she was seeing Judy or Trisha or Nick taking the place of the dead mammal on the table.

Sleep was becoming more difficult though her resolve never shook. She was the epitome of professionalism at the hospital and the best girlfriend any doe could hope for. Trisha had a feeling though that she would either bounce back soon or be in a much more fragile place. And she was determined to make it the former. Nothing was going to stop her bunny from being the best doctor Zootopia had ever seen. She was skilled, she was compassionate, and she was driven to make the world better, a pact she had made with her sister Judy long ago.

Letting the water cascade over her body let Sarah pretend it was washing away the anguish. Removing the image in her mind of a police officer finding the mammal's family to tell her that he had passed. That she had failed. She was supposed to distance herself from her patients. 'Becoming too attached to your patients could cause a doctor to doubt their ability if they should lose one, potentially leading to more deaths under their care.' It was something that had been grilled into her since day one at medical school. But she had trouble doing so. It never made her sloppy though when she lost one. Only more determined to succeed where she had failed before. She knew it wasn't truly a 'failure' as nature wasn't always so kind as to go along with what they wanted, but it was hard to sometimes see it that way.

So lost in her thoughts was she that she did not hear the curtain parting, nor the soft paws of the mammal coming up behind her. Not until a familiar body pressed up against hers and the soap taken from her paw did she realize someone had joined her. This time she was not against the touch of her doe and let experienced paws lather her fur with soap, moaning as they traveled along her ears before being rinsed under the waterfall of the showerhead. It was the soft lips along her neck and shoulders that had her turning around to wrap her own arms around her beautiful bunny.

Smiling deep, her pink eyes meeting bright blues, Sarah pressed her lips to Trisha's, enjoying the soft feel of the other rabbit's. Breaking apart for only a few moments, she whispered the words she spoke every morning they awoke and every night before they slumbered. "I love you, Rose Petal."

Trisha returned the smile, enchanted by the vibrant eyes of her lover. "I love you too, Sundae."


	2. Chapter 2 - Tired Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying the story. I know I am.
> 
> Disclaimer: Made a magic puppet to sneak into Disney headquarters to steal rights to Zootopia for me. I'm not really sure what happened, but I'm now inside a whale...

If there was one thing more annoying than the blaring of an alarm when one is over tired and has not slept, it's the ringing of a phone in that same circumstance. An alarm can be silenced forever with the push of a button. It can even be ignored until it times out. But for a doctor, a phone can never be shut off. Can never 'just be silenced'. A doctor always had to be at the ready, even when naked and spooning with their favorite bunny rabbit.

With a regretful groan, Sarah reached out her arm and snagged the phone from her bedside table. Quickly glancing at the time she let out another groan. _5:40 in the morning. I only just got to sleep a few hours ago after a 16 hour shift._ Recognizing the number as the nurse's station in the ER, she tapped the accept icon and brought it to her ear, preparing herself for the worst. "I swear Joanna, if this is another mother screaming about her kit eating a penny I'm going to petition you for a pay cut."

The voice on the other end of the line gave her a trilling laugh. _"No you wouldn't. You love me too much to do that."_ Joanna was correct about that point. She was probably Sarah's favorite nurse to work with. Highly competent, easy going, and quite fun to be around, the cougar had quickly earned a place on the rabbit's team. _"Two detectives are here. They want to speak to you."_

"I already spoke to the police about their wolf last night. I just got to bed a few hours ago, Jo. Can they do without me for a while longer?" Usually after losing a patient, most doctors were given a short reprieve in order to accept the loss and move on. Being called in a few hours after finishing a shift was unusual though things don't always go according to plan.

 _"I wish I could tell you to go back to bed, Sarah. They are very adamant though."_ Her voice dropped quieter, telling the doe they must be nearby. _"They look a bit anxious. Something has them bothered. I really think you have to come in. Sorry, hon."_

Grimacing, Sarah ran a paw over her eyes. Half of her wanted to tell Joanna to inform the detectives she'd be in tomorrow and just curl back up with her girl and go back to sleep. The professional in her however, demanded she get up and head down to talk to them. "Alright. Tell them I'll be there in thirty- no, forty-five. I'm gonna need another shower and a very, _very_ large coffee." Ending the call, she slid the phone back on the table and covered her face, groaning into her paws. Feeling another paw running over her chest, she brought her own down and stroked the brown arm laying across her body. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"It's k," came the tired reply. "I was ge-" a deep yawn punctuated her words, turning them into muffled gibberish. With half closed eyes, Trisha gave her a sheepish smile. "You don't really have to go in, do you? I was hoping we'd get the morning to sleep in and then we could go out to lunch. Haven't seen you that much the last few days."

Reaching out, Sarah cupped her cheek and smiled sadly. "I know. Sucks. But we knew what we were getting into at the beginning. "I'm probably gonna be stuck working the morning and afternoon shift today but I'm gonna talk to the boss and get tomorrow off." Leaning in close, she pressed their lips together. Pulling back, she gazed into the deep blue of her lover's eyes. "Tomorrow will be all about us."

Trisha smiled softly, her eyes half closed, body still in need of sleep. "I'd like that, cutie. Now," flipping off the sheet, she revealed her bare fur to the doe, "come back to bed." Sarah groaned loudly, closing her eyes and hanging her head.

"Don't do this to me. Gah!" Using all of her willpower, she ripped herself away from the enticing sight. "I'm gonna take a shower to wake up before heading in. You," pointing at her girlfriend, she quirked her brow, "I better not see any extra brown fur sneaking into that shower." Trisha giggled before waving her off.

Knowing she was on a deadline to get to work, Sarah forced herself to keep her shower short. Watching the hot water going down the drain, she cursed the unnamed detectives dragging her away from her home that early in the morning. Hopping out, she dried herself quickly and began to get dressed. Having long ago learned that 'on the job' attire really didn't mean anything to those in charge, she had worn comfortable clothes, usually a t-shirt and leggings. If she was going to be stuck working ten, twelve, sixteen hour days, she was going to make it the least unpleasant she could.

Deciding she looked decent enough, though her fur was still a bit damp in some places, Sarah headed out of the bathroom only to see the bed devoid of one extra bunny. A little shocked that Trisha would have gotten up that early with her, she moved out into the living room to see her beloved standing at the edge of the kitchen wrapped in their bedsheet, a steaming travel mug in paw. "You made me coffee?" It was the little things that made her love her doe more and more every day. Things like a spontaneous foot rub at the end of a long shift. An extra drop of lavender in a bubble bath to relax her muscles and her mind. Or meeting her at the door with a fresh pot of coffee.

"You gave yourself too tight a time frame to get to the hospital. You wouldn't have been able to stop and I know that the hospital machine tastes like sludge. So..." Handing her the mug, Trisha took a step back, watching as the multi-colored rabbit took a long sip. "Good? Good. Now..." Dropping the bedsheet, she let Sarah's vibrant eyes travel across her naked body, feeling a rush of pleasure as she saw the doe's pupils contract and lust slide over her face. "Come back to bed."

Stepping forward as if in a trance, Sarah reached her paw up and pressed it softly to just below Trisha's throat causing her eyes to close in anticipation. Sliding it down slowly, she trailed her digits over her brown chest causing her to thrust it forward, begging for more. The paw obliged, running back and forth over the soft fur of her rounded form. It did not end there. Trailing further downward, the brown doe began gasping as the white paw inched closer and closer to her mound until it stopped within inches of granting Trisha the touch she wanted before being yanked away.

With a shocked cry, the doe's eyes fluttered open only to meet the extremely smug smirk on Sarah's face. "Now you'll have that to think of until I get home and we can finish." Turning, she carried her coffee to the entry way and grabbed her bag from where she had discarded it only a few hours before. Trisha could not do anything but stand there, a shocked expression on her face that slowly turned into an approving smile.

"I think I've taught you too much, Sundae. You weren't supposed to be able to use my own tricks against me." Sarah merely grinned.

"Gotta run. Love you. Bye!" She was out the door before Trisha could even wave, though it was not so uncommon for her girlfriend to be in that much of a rush.

"Love you too, cutie." Gathering up the sheet, she wrapped them back around her and headed back towards the bedroom. "Shift starts at eight so I've got...all damn day," she said, flopping back onto the bed. She was asleep within seconds which she was thankful for, as Sarah's 'going away present' had started to rev her up something fierce.

* * *

Making her way down the sidewalk, Sarah used her digits to pry open her eyes in an attempt to clear away the cobwebs and get her mind working properly. It wasn't working as well as she would like but the coffee she was sipping religiously was doing its job. While the apartment they shared was wonderful, not as high-end and ritzy as her sister's but still very nice and in a great neighborhood, it was a significant distance to the nearest bus stop. _We really need to invest in a car._ Neither Sarah nor Trisha were in bad shape. In fact, with the workout routine Trisha threw herself into for years which she had recently pushed Sarah into as well, and the strict nutrition regimen Sarah insisted they both take part in, the does were impressively fit. This did not grant her immunity to the long walk and immense fatigue, however.

Making it to the stop only a few minutes before the scheduled arrival, she was not surprised to see a large group of mammals already waiting. It was a fairly common route that led to the hospital so the bus was usually packed wall to wall. Far too often was she left standing, holding tight to one of the straps hanging from the ceiling. She didn't normally mind it, though that morning she wished she had managed to get there five minutes earlier for a chance at a seat. Though, she told herself, if she sat down, as tired as she was, she may miss her stop in favor of a light snoring session in the back row.

It was lucky that she had found herself there with time to spare as the bus arrived a couple minutes earlier than was usual. Joining the queue, Sarah pressed forward and attempted to find a spot with the least amount of bodies surrounding her. As a kit, she grew up alone in a family of hundreds. Solitude was her comfort, the few exceptions being her sister and her mate, her co-workers and patients, and of course her love, the blue-eyed beauty still in her bed. _Probably back to sleep right now. Probably stole my pillow too,_ she mused, an affectionate smile crossing her lips.

Glancing around she amused herself with her favorite bus ride past time. Being a doctor was much like being a cop. She and her sister had enjoyed long discussions about that, coming to the conclusion that just as a cop is always on the lookout for potential trouble, even when off duty, a doctor often finds themselves evaluating mammals around them for illness or injury. And with a full bus in front of her, she began scanning her surroundings. Her eyes first fell on a middle aged badger who appeared to be favoring his left leg. Watching him wince whenever a pothole caused his right foot to touch the floor, she concluded that he probably sprained his ankle. With no bandage on it and with no swelling able to be seen, she figured it must have happened recently. Perhaps as recent as when he arrived at the stop. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out an ace bandage and tapped the mammal on his back, unable to reach his shoulder proper. "Here," she said to the turning badger. "Wrap that ankle at the next stop. You won't get a steady wrap on the bus." A little confused by the small bunny next to him, the badger nevertheless accepted the gift with a smile and a thank you.

Returning to her past time, she decided she could size up one more mammal before reaching her destination. Settling on an elderly otter, she looked her over before becoming concerned. Well into her later years, the small predator was standing in the middle of the bus, unable to find a seat. It was not that thought that concerned her, however. It was the sight of the small paw lightly rubbing her chest while seemingly having difficulty breathing. Moving forward, she reached the side of the mammal quickly, getting right in front of her. "Ma'am? Ma'am?" It took a couple tries for the elderly sow to focus on her. "Are you okay? I noticed you seem to be having trouble breathing."

"Oh no dear. I'm fine." Her smile, while genuine, was unable to hide her pain. Sarah had seen many patients try to downplay their illness, not wanting to be drawn into tests and time they felt was wasted in the ER.

"Ma'am, I'm a doctor. I can see you're having difficulty and a fair amount of pain." Looking around, she saw a teenage buck, his antlers barely growing in, sitting and playing on his phone. "Hey Stubby!" She smacked his hoof to get his attention which she got, the deer looking utterly vexed. "Need you to move. This lady needs to sit down."

The deer sneered. " _Hop_ along, little bunny. She shoulda gotten here first." He started to turn back to his game when a striped paw reached out and grabbed the buck by the stump of his antler.

"Show some respect for your elders, you little punk." The tiger, who had intervened, pulled the young male up from the seat and shoved him down to the other side of the bus. He moved as far from the aggressive cat as he could.

"Why thank you, Mr. Jones," Sarah beamed at the feline as she helped get the otter into the, now vacant, seat. The large mammal sat back, surprised at being addressed by name.

"You remember me?"

She flashed him a warm smile. "Of course I do. How's your hip doing?" She gave him a sly look. "You told your wife to stop being so rough, right?" He couldn't stop himself and let out a soft chuckle.

"I told her but I don't control my wife, Miss Hopps. Not that I want to." Rolling her eyes was all she could do at that statement as he had gone back to reading his paper.

"How are you feeling?" She had been monitoring the otter since she had sat her down, and while she did seem as if her breathing had become a bit better, it was still too ragged for the doe's liking. The pained expression gave Sarah all the information she needed. "Ma'am, I'd like for you to come with me to the hospital to get checked out."

"But I...I don't have insurance. I haven't been able to afford any since my husband passed." Putting a paw on her shoulder, the white bunny spoke calmly to prevent her from going into hysterics.

"Let me worry about that, alright? Now, Mrs-..."

"Brooks."

"Okay, Mrs. Brooks. I want you to come with me when we get off at the next stop and we're gonna go into the ER. I'm going to have my nurse look you over and we'll see if we can't figure out what's going on and how to take care of it for you. Sound good?" Having lapsed into heavy breathing, the sow simply nodded, willing to give in to the bunny. Thankfully it only took a few minutes to reach their destination. Only a few mammals ended up getting out, a nurse and receptionist she recognized who worked on the fourth floor among them. Leading the otter along the short sidewalk journey to the ER, she brought the sow through the automatic sliding doors and up to the front check-in area.

"You wait right here, Mrs. Brooks." Sarah turned and addressed the mammal behind the desk. "Tabby? Tabitha!" The shout startled the pig. Not surprisingly, she was absorbed in her phone as she often was during her break. Sarah hated to interrupt her, but the other three windows were full. "Tabby, I need you to page Jo and have her come down to give Mrs. Brooks here a once over. Difficulty breathing and what looked like minor chest pain. Put it on me, kay?" Rolling her eyes at the ridiculous generosity the bunny was known for, she assured the doctor she would get the cougar on the line right away. Though she wasn't the most serious of employees, Tabitha still treated each patient with the care they needed and deserved. "Okay Mrs. Brooks. I'm going to leave you here in Tabitha's capable hooves until my nurse comes to get you into a room, alright? It shouldn't be too long."

"Thank you, Doctor." Grasping the bunny's paw, she placed her second on top of it. "Thank you so much." Giving the otter a warm smile, Sarah patted her shoulder and withdrew, heading down the hall towards her office with a new spring in her step. _Nothing like helping someone else to give you that extra bit of energy._ Though she still wished she had a chance to take even a short nap.

Turning the corner, she spotted two mammals waiting for her just outside her office door. A male timber wolf and a tigress stood conversing quietly. Noting the badges hanging around their necks, Sarah recognized by their normal clothing that these were detectives. If she didn't know who they were or the badges perfectly visible, she wouldn't be able to discern them from normal patients, though the long, stereotypical trench coat the wolf was wearing kind of gave it away.

"Detectives." She gave the pair a short nod before strolling past them and bringing her keys out, not reacting to their attempt to introduce themselves. She was still very annoyed at being dragged in so early and she decided she was going to control the conservation. She was not at all cowed by the fact that they were predators, far larger than herself. In fact, she had to remind herself, it had only ever been bunnies in the Tri-Burrows that she had been afraid of, though she had shown hesitation when Judy had first brought home Nick.

Taking a seat behind her desk, she motioned for the detectives to sit themselves. Waiting until they were now both on an equal playing field, she adopted a look of annoyance, one that accurately represented her inner feelings. "Now. What was so important that you needed to drag me out of bed so soon after getting home? Be mindful that I worked a sixteen hour yesterday and lost my last patient of the night. I'm not exactly a happy rabbit right now."

The tigress leaned over and whispered into the wolf's ear, mistakenly thinking the doe would not be able to hear her. "Yep. Totally Wilde's sister." Sarah arched a brow at that making the tigress realize she had been caught. Coughing lightly, she gestured to the two of them. "I'm Detective Fangmeyer. This is Detective Wolford." Smiling internally, the bunny looked the two up and down. _Ah. So this is Wolfeyer._ Though Judy, Nick, and several other officers of the ZPD, including the Chief, knew about the pair's romantic relationship, the two thought they had been far too clever to be found out.

"We're here about the wolf from last night," continued Wolford. Sarah scowled, not wanting to be reminded of that so soon after it happened. "We had the blood work done and we discovered something...disturbing." Sitting up, the doe had firmly invested her attention into what the wolf was saying.

"And by 'disturbing'...?"

"I'll put it plainly, Doctor." The tigress seemed to be more of a blunt figure over her partner, preferring to keep the chit-chat to a minimum. "There's a new drug hitting the streets that is starting to grow into a major problem. The worst of it is, it's being made by inexperienced manufacturers who keep trying to find ways to make it cheaper or make it more obtainable. The result is, some mammals are dying when taking it. The wolf last night was taking it and suffered a cardiovascular failure."

"What my partner is trying to say Miss Hopps, is that the wolf was going to die anyways, no matter what you tried to do. So far this has happened to multiple users. They're playing Russian Roulette with even worse odds and they don't even know it." The canine seemed upset by the time he was done speaking, his voice dropping dangerously low almost in a growl. Sarah caught the tigress starting to lean towards him, catching herself before her paw got halfway raised.

"Normally doctor's aren't privy to information on ongoing cases. So why the change?" She already had a pretty food idea on the why, but she found it an amusing diversion from the mixture of guilt and relief she was feeling about the reality behind the wolf's death to make them tell her.

"Well, um...you see. Having experienced the uh, result first paw, we figured it would be, uh, _beneficial_ for the hospital to know what...to..." Trailing off at the smug look on the bunny's face, Wolford cocked his head, though Fangmeyer looked slightly embarrassed.

"My sister told you to tell me, didn't she?" The hesitant look exchange between the two of them confirmed her suspicions. "And you both are too afraid of her to refuse. Am I getting warm here?"

"You don't know what she's like! She knocked out her husband in the ring because he ate the last cream filled donut!" Chuckling, Sarah had to admit they probably had done the right thing. She had been a witness to some of Judy's sparring matches before and had grown to have a healthy fear of being on the other side of those kicks.

"Well detectives, I appreciate the heads up. I'll have some of our own technicians look into the blood work and see if we can't find a treatment to at least save the mammals when they come in." Standing on her chair, she reached over the desk and shook the wolf's and tigress's paws. "If we find anything I'll make sure to get it to you." With that, the conversation was over and the two mammals left the office, leaving the doe alone with her thoughts.

* * *

The rest of the day was fairly routine. After checking on Mrs. Brooks who was waiting patiently while Joanna ran a few tests, Sarah had moved on to the multitude of patients still waiting. A few minor injuries, a case of a severe flu resulting in needing an IV, and one broken bone had been the highlight of her morning. Eventually though her coffee was no longer doing the trick and she had to go lay down for an hour in the resting area used mainly for doctors stuck on emergency extended shifts. Thankfully no one disturbed her and she emerged a little while later, having regained enough energy to hopefully make it through the rest of the day.

Finding the cougar at the nurses station, Sarah hopped up onto the desk chair nearby. "Hey Jo. How's Mrs. Brooks doing?"

Grimacing, Joanna turned to the bunny. "Pneumonia. On top of asthma, too. Poor gal. Prescribing her Levofloxacin and Albuterol for the asthma. Should clear it up for her in the next couple of weeks. Told her she needs to get some rest, too."

"Thanks Jo. Why don't you check her out and have her go get the meds from the pharmacy." Hopping down, she started to head out of the station when the cougar called out.

"You going to the boss to get this one waived?"

"That among other things." She was still determined to get tomorrow off and wouldn't take no for an answer. She needed the rest and relaxation, not to mention some time with her girlfriend.

"Give him my love!" It was a running joke between the two of them, the canine and feline never seeing eye to eye, often resulting in loud arguments that could be heard down the hallway. Sarah simply waved over her head letting her know she had gotten the message.

Making her way down the nearly empty hallway towards the administrators office, she felt a little apprehensive. He was an easy going mammal, often willing to bend over backwards to help out his staff, but he often required a price for a favor. He was a bit of a wacky individual and his costs could sometimes be rather...odd. A few weeks back he had made a nurse go into the waiting area and sing 'I'm a little teapot' so she could get the day off. She shuddered at the thought of whatever stunt she may be forced to perform. Last time it had been dancing to Gazelle's 'Try Everything' at an assembly of doctors dealing with new resistant strains of bacteria.

Reaching the door, she was not surprised to find it already open. He took the 'open door' policy a bit too literally. Knocking to get his attention, she watched the wolf perk his ears up, the head following shortly after. "Hopps! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Though he technically had silver fur, the odd shade gave it an azure appearance, fitting for his name, the plate in front of him reading 'Administrator Blue.'

"Hey Henry. Got a couple things, actua-." Holding up his paw, the wolf stopped her mid-sentence.

"If this is about that otter, I already approved it."

"You did?" Sarah had a difficult time hiding her surprise. Normally Henry gave her more trouble in gifting patients their medical treatments but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "That's great, sir. Um, there's also something else." A quirked brow informed her she may be pushing his tolerance but she forged on, ready to do whatever embarrassing thing he had for her. "I would like tomorrow off. Yesterday was just too long and then with the wolf last night and being dragged in here for the police...I'm just overwhelmed. I need some rest."

The wolf stared at her for a few moments. "I'll agree to that. In fact, take the rest of the day too." This time Sarah couldn't hid her surprise at all.

"Just like that? No singing? Dancing? Dumping jello on my head?" Henry couldn't help but laugh at that, enjoying having made Joanna cover her head in lime jello so she could take the day with her fiance.

"What can I say, Hopps? You look like shit. I need my staff at their best and nodding off while giving out a diagnosis ain't exactly your 'best'." Looking back down at his papers, Administrator Blue started filling out the forms. "I'll see you in two days, Sarah. Have a good rest."

Skipping out joyfully yet quickly in case he changed his mind, Sarah headed back to reception to inform them she was off for the rest of the day and tomorrow as well. Changing back to her street clothes, she raced out the door to grab the next bus back home. _I'm getting back in that bed and I don't care if she's up, my doe is coming with me._


	3. Chapter 3 - A day out, Sarisha Style

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some doe-on-doe action in this chapter. So that should be fun ;)
> 
> Disclaimer: After a really bad attempt at stealing the rights to Zootopia, here are some tips for infiltrating Disney headquarters. 1) Don't go off the 'You are here' maps. Completely inaccurate. 2) The vending machines only work two days a week so bring your own food and drink. And 3) When running from Disney Cops, do not try to hide in the big castle. It's plastic and most of the doors don't work.

With so few days to herself, Sarah made sure she took advantage of them when she was given the opportunity. After getting home early for the first time in weeks, she wasted no time in stripping down and immediately jumping into bed with her bunny. Her main goal had been to catch up on some much needed rest after burning out for days on end. It had been a blessing to feel cool sheets over her body and a fluffed pillow under her head. Of course, some bunny had other plans.

It had taken nearly three hours for the two to become sated enough to sleep. Being separated for nearly a week had made both does extremely restless. For nearly a year the two had spent the nights in each others arms after long sessions of lovemaking, some more heated than others, but Sarah's job had become more and more demanding recently putting some strain on their relationship. The two had spent the rest of the day cuddling in bed and getting some shut eye. Sarah had been so exhausted that she barely stirred as Trisha left the bed and got ready for her shift at the 10-7. She managed to rouse herself enough to kiss her and tell her goodbye, but that was all the energy the white doe had left. She soon faded back into her dream world.

She didn't know when her bunny had come home, but she did recall her naked body pressing against hers sometime in the middle on the night, cuddling into her chest before their arms wrapped around each other. It didn't matter _when_ she came home to Sarah, just as long as she did. She was not afraid to lose Trisha to someone else. They had been together for too long and been through so much that their bond was woven tight, tougher than steel. As a doctor specializing in emergency medicine though, she saw enough to know that life can be a cruel mistress some days, and she silently thanked the universe whenever Trisha walked through their front door unharmed.

The next morning it was not the rays of the sun, nor the chirping of birds that woke her. It was instead the soft singing coming from the kitchen along with the much loved smell of roasted coffee beans waiting for her. Rousing from her deep slumber, Sarah headed for the door, not bothering with clothes. They hadn't used them in the apartment for many moons, preferring the natural feel of just their fur and the beauty of the other mammal in their life being equally as bare. Clothes were a restriction of their passion, though they did tend to wear something if guests were dropping by. Walking into the kitchen, she saw a heavenly angel slowly swaying to her own song, her tail twitching happily. Sarah knew that her approach had not gone unnoticed. That was the problem with their being two bunnies in a small apartment. No sound was hidden.

Feeling the heated gaze on her rear, Trisha spun around giving her girlfriend a mischievous smile and a flick of her tail, trying to start the doe early. In the beginning, Sarah had been overly self conscious about being naked in front of the brown bunny. It wasn't that she didn't love her and want to be loved _by_ her. It was that she didn't think she was attractive enough to warrant the affections of such a desirable doe that Trisha was. She was less than nothing according to other rabbits, so why did Trisha not see her that way? She really saw her as beautiful and after proving it to the white rabbit repeatedly for nearly an entire weekend their first time in their new apartment nearly a year ago, she finally had to accept that Trisha had a high libido even by bunny standards. That and she was completely honest about her feelings and desires for Sarah.

"Hungry, cutie?" Carrying two plates stacked high with toast and scrambled eggs, Trisha made her way over to the table where two steaming cups of coffee waited for them. It smelled heavenly to Sarah, her mouth quickly watering and her stomach rumbling. With her chaotic schedule the day before, she hadn't managed to get any food in her. Breakfast had consisted of a cup of coffee and her lunch break had been an hour on the rest cot. When she had gotten home, she had expended even more energy with her brown doe and spent the rest of the day and night catching up on her sleep. Considering it had been almost thirty six hours since she had last eaten, she was proud of herself for not diving headfirst into the plate of food.

"Famished." Sitting down in front of her own plate, she barely registered the kiss Trisha laid on her cheek before heading to her own chair. Sarah was no longer able to contain herself and immediately grabbed a piece of toast, devouring it in seconds. In her haste, she did not chew it well enough and began to cough, grabbing her cup and downing a significant amount of coffee to clear her throat. She decided to slow down on her consumption. Slowly sating her hunger was better than death on a full belly.

"Jeez Sarah. Chew once in a while," Trisha teased, nursing her own cup. "I take it yesterday was pretty devoid of food based on how fast you're going through those eggs." She grimaced as her beautiful bunny nodded in between bites. She hated seeing Sarah practically starving herself, both of food and sleep, but she knew she would never convince her to reign herself in, not that she wanted to. Sarah's dream was important to her and Sarah was important to Trisha. She would be there for her through thick and thin. "Well, you got the day off, right?"

Sighing happily at the thought of not having to see the inside of the ER for a full day, Sarah nodded emphatically. "Yeah. Blue gave me the day off."

"Good ol' Blue. Good guy to work for."

"He told me I looked like shit." Trisha paused taking her next sip of coffee.

"Good guy you _used_ to work for." Reaching out, she patted the painted bunny on her arm. "Don't worry, sweetie. They'll never find his body." They shared a laugh while Trisha gathered up the empty plates and headed for the sink. "So what did you want to do today? I got the day off too, so we have the entire day and night to ourselves."

The idea of getting to spend an entire twenty four hours of non-interrupted 'them time' had Sarah all excited. They hadn't been able to experience alone time like that in almost a month and she wanted to take advantage of it as much as possible. "I was thinking we could go to the botanical gardens and then get some lunch at our spot. Maybe go to the movies? Darkness. Cuddling. Popcorn."

Trisha held up her paw. "You had me at the gardens but the popcorn is what sold it. I'm gonna go take a shower and then get dressed before we head out." She started for the bedroom before feeling her paw being taken by another.

"Don't you mean _we_ go take a shower?" Trisha looked at her with undisguised love and lust.

"God I love you."

* * *

"So...where did you get the car? Not that I'm complaining, I don't really want to take the metro today. That elephant with the bladder problem was there yesterday on the way to work. He soaked three mice and the hooves of a zebra. Knowing my luck not only will he be there, but he'll have drank sixteen gallons of water, it will be the same car, and they won't have cleaned up the smell." Sarah couldn't help but giggle at the mental image that gave her.

"That's such a sweet story, Rose Petal. I'll be sure to mention it the next time I see Mr. Pachyd when he's in for his bladder exam." Trisha knew that her bunny was not one for embarrassing patients so she could afford to call her bluff but she decided to leave it be for the moment. "Anyways, I got the car from one of the nurses on my staff, Squinny."

Bright blue eyes turned and gave her a quizzical look. "Squinny? What kind of name is Squinny?" Sarah let out a laugh, the sound being mesmerizing to the brown bunny. She both loved and hated how this doe held so much power over her and barely even knew it. She didn't let it worry her too much though, as she held far more influence over the white rabbit herself.

"Squinny is the nickname we gave to Evie. She's a squirrel and bunny hybrid. She's absolutely adorable." Trisha tried to picture what that would look like but the most she could conjure is giant ears and a small tail on a squirrel. "She went to the Meadowlands with her fiance for the weekend and graciously offered to loan me her car for today since she wouldn't be needing it. Apparently hearing some tales of the Metro made her hesitant to let us take it to the gardens."

"Well that was very sweet of her. I take it being a _squinny_ means she's about our size? Cause the car is pretty comfortable and squirrel cars tend to pinch my butt pretty hard." They were getting close to the gardens and Trisha was excited. She had only been there once before when she had first moved to the city. She had found it very beautiful but going back just seemed so lackluster. You could only see the same layout so many times and for Trisha, 'many' meant once. Going with Sarah though was something different. Getting to experience it with someone else, especially one as special as she was, made all the difference to the brown bunny.

"Yeah, she's about our size. Works well for having another small nurse but I wouldn't mind one with a squirrel's paw size. Getting into some of the smaller areas would be much easier with a smaller mammal working with us. I've petitioned the board to allow another nurse under my supervision but they've told me repeatedly that I'm maxed. My team is far too efficient to break them up so Evie is my last addition." Sarah had to shake her head at the board. Paperwork and worrying about their salary bonuses. That's what kept her from having a full set of skills on her team. It's also what kept the emergency department from the new CT scanner they needed and to update their x-ray unit to digital images. The argument that other areas of the hospital already had them so their need wasn't urgent enough to invest in the machines.

Having listened to Sarah's rants about the hospital's medical board far too often, Trisha decided to take advantage of the break in the conversation to steer them away from the sensitive topic. "So what are we going to go see first? The tulips? The _roses,_ maybe?" she said with a wink. Sarah's favorite flower had always been daisies ever since she was little. However, these days she had a special affinity for roses which Trisha made sure to always tease her about.

"You'll see soon enough."

To keep herself occupied, Trisha started digging through the glove compartment. "Is that a pinecone?" Almost immediately she realized her mistake as Sarah's eyes opened wide with glee.

"Pinecone!"

* * *

"Ow! Can I open my eyes yet, Sarah? I think that's the third trash can you've walked me into." Favoring her right leg, Trisha hobbled a bit, feeling a decent amount of pain radiating along her shin. For some reason, the white doe had _really_ wanted to keep their destination a secret. And for some reason, one she had forgotten as being important after the third or fourth time she stubbed her toes, Trisha had agreed to be led around. _I wonder if she needs some first aid practice and I'm the test dummy._

"We're almost there. I'll try to avoid any more trash-" Trisha let out a pained yelp as her knee caught another waste receptacle, "cans. Starting now." The brown bunny grumbled a bit, muttering a few choice curse words that had Sarah smiling, her free paw covering her mouth to prevent a giggle from escaping. Trisha had a sailor's mouth some days and apparently the white rabbit was bringing it out in her at the moment. Reaching the spot, Sarah turned the bunny until the view in front of them would be the first thing her blue eyes saw. "Okay. Open them."

Blinking to clear the darkness from her eyes and to adjust to the light, Trisha gazed down over a sea of purple and blue, lavender and pink. Patches of white and magenta. A bouquet of a thousand lilacs all laid out before her, stunning the doe into speechlessness. She could only stare in wonder as her favorite flower appeared to her in numbers she had never envisioned could exist. "Oh Sarah. It's beautiful." She clasped her paws together, a broad smile on her lips as her bunny embraced her from behind and began to sway with her.

"I saw this was a new addition online and I knew that if there was anyone this was meant for, it was you." She rested her chin on Trisha's shoulder and placed their cheeks together in a soft nuzzle. Trisha reached a paw up and placed it behind Sarah's head, lightly stroking her hanging ears. The two stood gazing out over the bed of flowers as they continued to sway in the light breeze, dancing to the sound of silence around them. The garden was mostly empty, allowing the two to show their affection more liberally than they normally would as Sarah began trailing light kisses down the brown bunny's neck.

"Now is this the right time or place for that, Sundae? Shame on you." The lips left her fur until she grabbed her bunny and dragged her back. "I didn't say stop, honey." She let out a soft moan as the lips continued their tender trails down to her shoulders. "If you planned all this to seduce me," she managed to gasp, "it's totally working." She felt a soft paw give her ears a tiny yank sending chills down the brown bunny's spine. "Oh god. You're not gonna make me...you know...right here. Are you?" Sarah put her paw on Trisha's other cheek and turned the bunny to face her. Softly pressing their lips together, she moved her paw over Trisha's rounded chest.

"It's up to you, love. We're alone over here. Lilacs all around us. If you want to save it for later, we can do that. If not..." Sarah gave her a half-lidded look, her eyes aflame with desire. "Then we can push the boundaries. Right here. Right now." Consideration never even entered Trisha's thoughts as she spun and wrapped her arms around her doe, pulling them together, kissing her with a fierce passion.

Running her paw up under her shirt, Sarah brushed over Trisha's chest, feeling the softness under her touch, enjoying how the rabbit shivered and writhed as her digits trailed along. She knew how to bend Trisha to her will, her knowledge having been accrued over many months. A light clawing of her chest and a small yank on her ears was usually all she needed to bring her doe to the floor, and today wasn't any different.

Sinking to her knees under the soft manipulations of her fur and flesh, Trisha couldn't keep a smile from forming on her lips at the thought of how much Sarah had changed in the past year. Gone was the shy, hesitant rabbit. Held back by hardship and torment as a kit. In place of that shadow of a mammal stood a confident, intelligent being who knew what she wanted and was never afraid to go for it. Including her. And it excited Trisha to no end.

Reaching up, all the while keeping blue eyes locked onto pink, Trisha deftly unbuttoned the jean shorts hugging Sarah's waist. Slowly sliding them down before having her step out of them one foot at a time, Trisha tossed them to the side, seeing no need for them to be in their way. She ran a brown paw over the front of Sarah's panties, purring at the moan she let out as the mixed doe's eyes closed. Breaking apart, watching Sarah's eyes fly open, Trisha leaned back until her back was on the floor and her hips were raised. Shimmying out of her own shorts, she raised her legs high and slid them off before having them join the other pair in a pile. Lifting her paw, she curled her digit in a 'come hither' gesture, a seductive smile gracing her lips.

Dropping to all fours, Sarah stalked forward, her movements methodical. Graceful. She did not immediately approach the bunny on the floor, instead opting to walk around her in a circle, offering a view of her full hips and flicking tail. Her goal was to get Trisha panting with need, desperate to feel her touch before letting her put her paws on her. She did not need to wait long as a small whimper came from the doe, an unintentional sound driven from her at the sight of her swaying hips. Trisha may have a chest to die for, but she always said that Sarah had the hips and ass to drive any buck, or doe, mad with desire.

Tired of waiting, Trisha reached out, capturing brown hips in her paws, dragging Sarah on top of her. "I've got you now, you _bad_ bunny." Running her paws over the doe's body, she grew emboldened by the small mews she was letting out. "What do I get for capturing an angel like you?" Momentarily freezing in place, Sarah then cocked her head in confusion.

"What will this angel give you?" Slowly turning to face her captor, Sarah's pink eyes seemed to burn with fire and desire. "This angel will give you the demon inside." Diving forward, she pressed her lips against hers and snaked her tongue into Trisha's mouth, enjoying how their tongues slid along each other. One paw reached up and grasped the ends of Trisha's brown ears while the second slipped between their bodies and pressed against her mound causing her to gasp and arch her back. A white paw slipped under the lace band of Trisha's panties, sliding along her folds, feeling them already slick with her arousal. It was far too easy to part the flesh and press her digit against the doe's clit.

The sudden bucking of her hips caught Sarah pleasantly by surprise. "My you are a needy little bunny, aren't you?" She suddenly squealed with delight as Trisha pushed herself off the ground and tackled the younger doe. Sarah kept her paw firmly pressed against the brown bunny's mound but moaned at the feel of a paw stroking along her own, her panties having been pushed aside, granting access to her most private and pleasurable areas. "Oh god! That feels...mmmmhm...Don't you dare stop." The two does began manipulating each other's sex, slowly sliding up and down the folds as their lips met and tongues intertwined.

Trisha was the first one to lose her composure, pressing against Sarah's clit hard and rubbing it rapidly, speeding her doe to orgasm. "Oh god. Oh god. Yes. Yes! Trisha! TRISHA! Ah! AH! Almost...almost...almooooooo-AHHH!" Gripping Trisha's head in her paws, she dragged her into her chest, holding her in place as she bucked hard against the paw driving her to lose her mind. "Yes! Yes! YES! RIGHT THERE!" With a violent shudder, Sarah released, cumming all over Trisha's paw. Her own limbs fell limp, overwhelmed by the pleasure rushing through her body.

Feeling the paw that was pressed against her own mound withdraw, Trisha felt her own arousal grow even further knowing she was very close to her own orgasm. She grinned as a dirty thought flitted through her mind. _Well, if her paw isn't up to it, I know what always is._ Swinging her leg up and over the stunned bunny, she slowly slid her body forward, bringing her legs closer to her neck until she was sitting with her knees resting on either side of her cheeks. She held still, waiting for the doe's eyes to open. She may be forceful sometimes, they both could be in fact, but she would never act without permission. Luckily for her, Sarah was never one to deny her urges and as the white eyelids opened to show brilliant pink eyes, a smile crossed the doe's face and a tongue flitted out to lick her lips. Grinning, Trisha reached down and pulled her panties to the side, revealing her slit to the bunny's gaze. Bringing her paw behind Sarah's head, she cradled it and lifted it up to meet her sex. "Let's see if that tongue is good for more than just screaming," she whispered huskily before pressing her lips to her waiting folds.

The first touch of her tongue had the brown doe gasping with pleasure. It had been a long time since she had been able to experience Sarah's mouth on her and she was not going to let this opportunity pass her by. Rocking her hips, Trisha let out a purr as her nose slid along her clit and her tongue slid along her sex. She was already so worked up after being teased by the white rabbit before making her cum that she felt she wasn't going to last long.

Feeling her orgasm approaching rapidly, Trisha used both paws to haul Sarah's face further into her sex as she began bucking against her, mashing her harder against her clit. "Oh god, Sundae. You feel so gooooood...Oh yes. Wrap your lips." Sarah sucked her clit into her mouth, running her tongue along it, driving Trisha wild with the sensation. "Oh yes. Just like that. Bite it. Just a littl-AH! Yes! Oh god that was goo-AH! Sarah you stop th-oooooooh god...Don't stop. Nibble it. Oh nibble it so good. Oh I'm gonna cum, Sarah." Hearing that, the white doe wrapped her paws around Trisha's legs and pulled herself in tighter, continuing to toy with her clit. "I'm gonna cum! Oh get ready! Oh. Oh! OH! YES! AHH! I'M CUMMING!" Sarah released the doe's clit and moved her lips lower, licking up all of her girlfriend's sweet nectar before pushing her tongue inside causing the doe to let out one final squeal and a last torrent of her sweet taste to coat Sarah's tongue.

Gasping for air, Trisha rolled to the side, letting Sarah take in some much needed oxygen. Her chest was heaving from the intensity of her release, the memory almost feeling like a dream though it was only seconds ago. She could barely move at the moment so she merely watched as the white doe raised herself up. "I'm pretty sure no flowers are going to top that so how about we-" whipping her head around, Sarah's ears perked and swiveled from side to side. Trisha also thought she heard something and rose up on her knees, straining her hearing to it's limits.

"-ver there?" The two does glanced at each other, suddenly wary as a voice came closer. They could hear the steady jingling of keys, many of them all clacking together without being muffled so either in a paw or... _a belt_.

"Oh my god." Trisha slapped a paw to her mouth trying to stop the giggling suddenly springing forth. "It's a security guard."

Sarah couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Trisha. The whole area smells like sex and we're sitting in soaked panties with our shorts ten feet away. I'm pretty sure this will make it into his report."

The brown bunny gave her a mischievous wink. "We could always give him a show. I'm sure the two of us could come up with something to keep him from reporting us." She laughed at the dark look her bunny sent her way. "Or we could just run for it." Giggling madly, the two does snatched up their clothes and ran for the side exit leaving a very confused ocelot wondering what variety of lilacs smelled quite like that.

* * *

"You know, I'm still not sure why this is _our_ spot. I mean, nothing significant happened here...did it?" The couple had been sitting outside in the sun, enjoying a light lunch at their usual table. The 'Bearly Awake Cafe' was one of their favorite spots to eat, often stopping by together or alone on their lunch or dinner breaks if it was during a late shift. Joe the owner, a formidably large grizzly, took a shining to the two does after Sarah had told him how to clear up an infection in his arm from a bad cut and Trisha had passed along how to mix up a few stiff drinks for his brother's bachelor party. After serving them a pair of extremely fresh salads direct from his personal garden, he went and tended his grill, roasting a few vegetables for another group of bunnies.

"Really? You don't remember? I'm insulted." Trisha really was amused that Sarah was unable to recall the memory of that day, though it was nearly five months ago and with her hectic job she wasn't surprised a few things had slipped her mind. "We were supposed to meet for lunch, to try out that new veggie wrap place over on sixth? But you were running late so I sat down over here and Joe brought me a cup of coffee and some bread to munch on. When you showed up, you came and sat down and said you were too tired to walk anymore so we stayed and had lunch here."

Sarah stabbed another tomato and brought it to her lips, enjoying the crisp freshness as her teeth bit into the ripe skin. Chewing, she cocked her head in thought. "I think I remember that. Had worked a double the day before and was tossed onto six cases the next morning." Trisha shook her head in amusement, finding it impossible to imagine how she could forget her coffee four out of five mornings but could remember a ridiculous case load from half a year past.

Spearing a mouthful of carrot shavings and lettuce, Sarah started to raise it when her phone went off. Sending Trisha an apologetic look, she pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen. "It's Jo." Sighing heavily, she keyed the accept icon. "Hey Jo, what's up?"

_"Hey Sarah. We need you to come in."_

Her eyes narrowed in frustration, the idea of having to abandon her doe not sitting well with her. "I'm off today."

_"I know, but Amy went home sick and we need someone to cover."_

"Jo, I don't care if Amy went home sick and half the staff suddenly got the flu, I'm not coming in today." Reaching across the table, she pulled Trisha's paw to hers, intertwining their digits, sharing a smile together. "This is my first real day off in three weeks and even Blue ordering me to come in wouldn't shake me."

_"Well, what are we gonna do? We're short one trauma surgeon and there's a large group of patients waiting."_

"That's not my problem, Jo. I'm sorry to be crass but I need a 'me' day with my lady." A sudden thought came to her. A ways to solve the problem at the ER and one that will get rid of a pain in her side that had been bugging her for the last two months. "Get Jared to help."

_"Are you kidding? Jared? The prince of procrastination?"_

"Yep. Jackass has been butting in on every surgery I've done for three weeks distracting me and saying how he would do it better. So tell him now it's his turn to prove it. Maybe it'll get him off my back for a while. Now, if you'll excuse me, Jo, I have a lunch to get back to." Without waiting for a reply, Sarah ended the call and shut off her phone before sticking it back in her pocket. She looked up to see Trisha gazing at her heatedly, licking her lips slowly. "What?"

"God you're so hot when you get all forceful." Standing, she threw down a twenty and grabbed Sarah's wrist, hauling her from the table and towards the parking lot where the car sat.

"What about our lunch?" The doe turned around though never halted in her strides, giving the mixed bunny a lustful smile.

"I'm hungry for something else right now." Reaching the car, Trisha pushed her up against the door, pressing their lips together hard as their paws roamed each others bodies. Moving down to her neck, she felt the doe gasping above her, Sarah's breaths coming ragged as her voice turned husky.

"What if someone sees?" Nothing could be further from the white rabbit's mind at that moment, but she still needed to bring it up. The lips pressed against her fur was driving her mad. Trisha's paw found it's way to her neck and gave it a light squeeze.

"Just tell them you're giving me mouth-to-mouth," as their lips met again.


	4. Chapter 4 - Real life is messy: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What we see a lot of in the beginnings of this story is Sarah and how her life works, her day to day duties. But hers is only half of the story. Today we take a peek into the other.
> 
> I've gotten a few reviews and multiple PM's about the public sex scene and how they enjoyed it. For anyone reading A Bunny CAN Go Savage, you know I am no stranger to mature themes in my works. I'll leave the raw intensity to the Wilde preds, but creative and adventurous is the territory of the two honey-bunnies.
> 
> Disclaimer: Negotiating for ownership works a lot better when you actually have something to trade. The $0.87 I scrounged my pocket along with lint and a bit of a cascade of string coming from my jeans did not impress the Disney executives. You will be mine, Zootopia!

**_Trisha's Day..._ **

There were a lot of good things about being early. Time to prepare, time to relax, and sometimes an opportunity to just think. Trisha though rarely ever experienced the blessings that can come from being early. Or even being on time most days. She was all too often late for her shift which is why her boss secretly scheduled her earlier than he actually needed her for. She also had trouble when sleeping in, hating the idea of getting up ahead of the sun unlike most of her species. So when she was early for her family reunion, she felt immensely proud of herself. Until she realized the train would get her home at three in the morning the day of the reunion. That's when she decided that life was hell in disguise and it took great pride in torturing her.

Thankfully standing in front of her childhood home in the dark did not last long as her mother, who was easy to wake with a text, let her in quickly. They exchanged brief hugs and whispered welcomes before they each retired to bed. Though she hadn't been in the house for several years, her steps never faltered and she made her way down the hall, nearly blind from exhaustion. Opening the second door on the left, she dropped her bag and collapsed onto the mattress in front of her.

A shrill beeping of her phone alarm woke the doe who didn't remember falling asleep in the first place. Completely exhausted, Trisha tried to pretend the alarm didn't exist and buried her head in the pillow. Unfortunately for her, pillows were not enough to block out sound from bunny ears. "Sarah." Her voice was muffled and barely reached her own ears. "Sarah," she cried a little louder. "Turn that thing off, please?" When the alarm kept ringing and she heard no voice call out to her, she slapped her paw at the other side of the bed to try and wake the white bunny. She cracked open an eye when her paw met only air, her fuddled mind wondering if she had hopped into the shower already.

The large splash of purple seen through her squinted vision puzzled her for a moment before her memory started to come through her foggy mind. Struggling with her weak limbs, her body totally drained of energy, Trisha sat up and rubbed her eyes, clearing her vision. Turning her gaze from wall to wall, she took in the purple paint covering the room, the B-movie poster for 'Deadly Prey' about a lone jackrabbit hunted by felines through the woods as 'ultimate sport' who has to kill them all one by one, several posters of Harrison Furred movies, and a giant one for 'Guns n Rodents: Live in Concert' along with a pair of backstage passes stapled to the corner.

While she felt nostalgic waking up in her old bed, she missed the warmth of her cuddled bedmate who was several hundred miles away at this very moment, most likely waking up to an empty apartment with a heavy sigh just as she was. Reaching over the side of the bed to her jeans splayed out on the floor, something she must have done in the middle of the night as she did not recall taking them off, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Noticing the time was a little past seven, and that her bunny needed to be up at six thirty, she figured she was just getting breakfast ready and quickly tapped the muzzletime icon. She felt apprehensive with each ring that went unanswered. She knew it was irrational but this was the first time she had been so far away from her bunny in nearly a year.

The sound reached her ears before the video had fully loaded. "Hello?" The voice, though tired and grumpy, had Trisha's heart suddenly racing. The image on the screen popped up and cleared to show the sleep-befuddled eyes of a particularly lovely young doe.

"Morning, Cutie. Sleep okay?" A pointless question, she told herself. She could see her bunny had experienced a lousy night of rest and she hated knowing she had been the cause of it.

"It was god awful." Sarah clapped a paw to her mouth as she yawned, her body still demanding rest. "I woke up every half hour with a nightmare that you were gone only to find that you _were_ gone."

"Oh I'm sorry, hon. I didn't want this to happen." She felt horrible and wanted to kick herself for making her bunny feel so awful.

"Don't be, Trish. It's fine. I was the one who wanted you to go see your family, remember? I just didn't expect the detachment to be so...extreme." To be honest with herself, Trisha didn't expect it either. Living together all that time had made them unprepared for the reality of what might happen should they be separated like they currently were. It could be the fact that they jumped into the relationship too fast and never went through that part or it could simply be they had gotten so close they didn't like being apart.

"I know what you mean. I woke up and had a mild panic attack when I didn't feel you near me. Took me a bit to recognize my old room." Sarah's tired face immediately picked up.

"Your room? Oooh let me see, let me see!" Letting out a sigh though with a smile touching her lips, Trisha spun her phone around slowly, letting her girlfriend take in the sights of her small and meager childhood bedroom. "Aww. The purple is so you. I love the posters. Now I know why we have so many copies of Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies." She winked at her rabbit when the screen came back around.

"Hey, he's a good actor, okay?" Sarah crossed her arms and gave her lover a smirk. "With sharp teeth and big paws." The white doe huffed playfully and rolled her eyes.

"You and my sister. Such a weird desire for canines." Trisha couldn't help but smile as the doe let out a tiny giggle.

"Hey. There's only one mammal I desire, sweetie. And when I get back tomorrow I'm gonna prove it to you."

"Well then," Sarah murmured, gazing at her with half-lidded eyes. "I guess I should get some more sleep before work, that way you can 'prove' it to me. All. Day. Looooo-" Trisha would have found it incredibly sexy if it were not for the yawn at the very end which made her doe appear very sheepish. Laughing, the brown bunny fell onto her side tipping the phone with her. Sarah couldn't help but laugh along at her own embarrassment.

"I'll let you go back to sleep, love. Just wanted to see your beautiful face this morning. I'll call tonight, okay? Love you, Sarah."

"Love you too, Rose Petal." Shaking her head as the video cut to black, Trisha hoped that little pet name would never make it back to her family. Speaking of, she was probably expected down to breakfast by now.

Hopping up out of bed, she rummaged in her disorganized bag for clothes until she got frustrated and dumped everything onto her bed. She never was one to be tidy, preferring chaos, 'to make life more interesting' she would say. Or, as Sarah often clarified, she had motivation for everything in the world except for cleaning and picking up after herself. It was a rather astute assessment, made even more likely as the rabbit grabbed two random pieces of crumpled clothing and pulled them on, not caring one iota as to the color or what they even were.

Eventually though it was time to head down to the kitchen. She took the first step onto the stairwell and paused, glancing mischievously at the banister. She knew what she wanted to do and, despite being an adult, she literally jumped at the chance, getting one leg over the railing and sliding to the bottom with a 'whoop' of glee. Luckily no one was around the entry hall to catch her acting so childish. She wouldn't have cared if her brothers had caught her or her father, but she knew she wasn't so old as to not receive a light smacking of a wooden spoon on her bottom from her mother.

Though she had been saddened waking up alone, the call to her doe had made her feel more like her old self and she merrily skipped along, tempted by the fresh smell of breakfast wafting from the next room over. Poking her head through the open door, Trisha was surprised to see no one in the room besides her mother who had her back turned over the stove. A stack of pancakes and waffles were set on the table, piled much higher than for just two bunnies, or even three if her father was coming down.

"Hey mom. Smells good." She moved up behind the mature rabbit and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Anything I can help with?"

"Morning dear. If you wouldn't mind, could you get out the orange juice and some cups?" Happy to lend a paw, Trisha bounded over to the fridge and pulled out a relatively large pitcher of juice which she placed in the center of the kitchen table, followed by a stack of glasses she grabbed from the cabinet. "You're up late, hon."

"Actually this is a bit too early for me. I normally work nights and not getting here until three kinda made it a bit harder to get up." _Not to mention my normal wake-up kiss,_ she thought to herself. She hadn't told her mother much about her relationship. They didn't keep in contact as much as either would like due to their jobs being much different time frames so details about her love life were far and few between.

"Well, I'm glad you're up anyway. Go ahead and dig in before everyone gets here. Your father should be home with most of your brothers in tow soon." Already having grabbed several waffles and loading her plate up with syrup, Trisha paused with her fork halfway to her mouth.

"They're here already?" She didn't mind her brothers. In fact she loved them all deeply. However, they had a tendency to tease her relentlessly about nearly everything. One thing in particular was her love life, or lack of a _stable_ one specifically. They knew about her trysts in the past, but they had not been in contact much since before she had met Sarah.

"Well, Robert, Sean, and Michael are. Their trains all arrived around the same time. Isaac won't be coming. Lilian is going to have their second litter any day now and he wants to be there this time after missing the first for that overseas business trip. And Charlie is driving himself. He should get here around midday." Turning to deliver the newest batch of pancakes to the table, Trisha quickly rearranged her annoyed expression into a, hopefully, convincing smile.

"That's great. Can't wait for them to get here." Deep brown eyes locked onto her own with a knowing look that told Trisha her fib hadn't gone unnoticed. The younger doe kicked herself for having lived with Sarah for too long, her ability to lie convincingly having been reduced by her overwhelming honesty with her girlfriend. "Okay, so I'm dreading it a bit. Guarantee the first thing they do is tussle my ears and call me 'squirt'."

"Oh honey bun. Your brothers are grown now. I'm sure they'll act a bit more mature," though her mother's tone didn't exactly ooze confidence in belief of her own words. As if the universe wanted to test that theory immediately, they both heard the 'click' of the front door knob opening the door, the squeaky hinges she remembered from her childhood betraying the attempted quiet approach.

"Peggy, we're home." The voice was deep, easily carrying to the other end of the house. The 'we' aspect of his words was made clear with the sound of multiple rabbits barreling through the living room on their way to kitchen. Her mother let out a sigh and backed up to the stove, clearing the way for the inevitable stampede of large bucks tearing through the room.

Neither doe had to wait long as three rabbits all hit the doorway in competition to see who could reach breakfast first. Two of them became stuck, their shoulders wedged side by side in the frame. The third, who had been lagging slightly behind, took that opportunity to squeeze under and between their legs only to find that opening was not as large as he expected and found himself trapped along with them. Snorting behind her paw, their sister stood and walked over to them.

"Well. That's certainly an interesting door, mom. The pain in those faces look so real." Grimacing, the taller of the three tried to shove his brother's arm out of his rib cage before talking.

"Okay, you've gotten a good laugh. Help us out, sis."

"I can do that," she grinned evilly. "But you're not gonna like it." The doe backed up to the kitchen counters and took a ready stance.

"Not gonna li-...oh crap. Trisha...don't you da-!" With a maniacal laugh, she sprang forward into a dead run, leaping a few feet shy of the trio and slamming her shoulder in the middle of where they were jammed together. With an almost comical crash, the three brothers popped from the opening and landed in a tangle of limbs.

Standing and clapping her paws together, she smirked at the three of them. "Looks like my work is done here." She turned to head back to her plate but couldn't help giggling at the rolled eyes and small smile on her mother's face. "Mom's got breakfast ready so if you are all done being buffoons, you're welcome to join us."

Slowly the bucks filed in through the door, careful not to brush up against each other. Each was rubbing a different spot where from where they had landed awkwardly in the hallway. They each gave their mother a kiss hello before grabbing a plate and sitting down at the table next to their younger sister. Sean, the tallest of the three, put his paw out and tussled her ears. "How you doin', Squirt?" She sent her mother an exasperated look only to receive a smile and a shrug in return.

"Still working at that bar?" Though Michael was the prankster of the family, he always had a soft spot for his little sister, protecting her against bullies in school. He was also her favorite brother as they had the most in common and spent the most time together.

"Yeah. I like working with all of the first responders and getting to hear the interesting stories going around Zootopia. I especially love getting to hang around with Judy and Nick."

"Ah yes. The infamous duo." Trisha became a little wary as Robert joined the conversation. Back in high school and college he had always been a little too far over the speciest line, often being part of the groups that tended to belittle predators. She hoped he had grown out of it, though she had her suspicions that might not be the case. "I've never quite believed the story about them being mates. Is it actually true?" He looked to his sister, witnessing her head nodding slowly, her expression guarded. "Odd. A bunny mating with a fox. Probably doesn't know what a real buck is, right boys?" That got a light chuckle from his brothers though more for the sake of avoiding an argument rather than agreeing with him. "Maybe I can show her. Want to bring her around next time, sis?"

"I wouldn't go there, Bobby." Her warning merely got a raised brow from the buck. "You try something like that, even suggest it to her, you'll likely end up dead."

Letting out a harsh laugh, Robert puffed out his chest. "Pretty sure I can take on a fox, sis. I own that gym chain for a reason."

"Oh it's not Nick you have to worry about. It's Judy. She'll kill you." Letting out another laugh he as gazed at his brothers grimacing faces, he turned back to Trisha only for the sound to cut out awkwardly as he stared at the seriousness on her face and in her eyes. "I'm not kidding."

"Okaaay," Peggy said as she made her way over to the table, coffee mug in paw. "How about we stop talking about destroying marriages and death by bunnies, huh? We all haven't been together for a few years so let's make this about catching up. Sound good?"

"Sounds great to me, hon." In walked a tan buck, shrugging off his windbreaker while drying his ears. "Raining outside. Started coming down just before we walked through the door."

"Daddy!" Jumping up, Trisha ran to her father and wrapped her arms around him. Having missed him last night since she had gotten in so late and had not seen him that morning as she had slept in, she gave him an extra strong hug, one which pretended to gasp at.

"Oh! Your hug...it's too strong! My little girl has super strength!" Pretending to collapse in her arms, he let his tongue flop out as if he was dead.

"Daddy, c'mon. No theatrics." She gave him a light shake until his eyes popped open a tiny bit. With a wink of a bright blue eye, something only she had inherited, her brothers all having the same dark brown as their mother, he stood up straight and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, Sweet Pea. I promise I'll behave." Reaching up he also tussled her ears affectionately before heading over to his wife to give her a soft kiss, having to raise up on his toes slightly. Being slightly shorter than his wife tended to get short jokes sent his way at the office or from his friends, though it was all in good fun and the married couple enjoyed laughing along with them, their size not making any difference to them. "So how has everyone been doing? Rob, I heard you talking about your company?"

"Yep! Doing really well. We just opened another..." Trisha started to let her mind wander. She wasn't very interested in hearing her brother brag about his gym and how 'important' it was. If even one celebrity he claimed uses his gyms actually showed up, she'd eat Judy's feet wraps after a six block chase through Sahara Square. She was surprised his ego could stand the strain of how much he inflated it constantly.

Michael spent his time talking about his kits and how big they were getting. He and his wife had a small litter a few years prior so they were now just getting into the terrible threes and had been driving them ragged. Right now his wife's mother was up for a visit so they decided to stay home while he came up to see his parents and siblings. Trisha loved looking at the pictures of his three little ones, all in vegetable themed pajamas with their tiny poof tails sticking out the back.

Sean was a bit more melancholy than normal. Usually energetic and bright eyed, this time he seemed down, his eyes a little dimmer. "Is anything wrong, Sean?" Their mother was always one to immediately jump on any one of her kits who seemed to be upset. Nothing mattered more to her than their happiness. They joked that she could _see_ unhappiness through walls, even knowing to give one of them a phone call after a scraped knee.

"Wendy. We, uh, we broke up last week." Peggy put a paw over her mouth while Trisha winced slightly. Sean and Wendy had been together for nearly two years. "I asked her to marry me and she...turned me down. Said she wasn't ready to settle down. I asked her why since we've been together for two years and living together for the last eight months. She got mad and just...left. Haven't heard from her in over a week."

"Don't worry about it, bro." Sean looked up to see his sister offering him a small smile. "Ten bucks says you'll get home and find her there waiting for you and you can try again. And if not," she shrugged, "it just wasn't meant to be. But at least you tried. You'd have been kicking yourself the rest of your life if you hadn't." Looking a bit more positive, her gave her a smile in return, though still looking blue.

"Yeah? And what do you know about relationships, Squirt?" The table turned their eyes towards the dark chocolate buck. Robert gave her a small smirk. "Last I heard you were jumping from bed to bed quick as could be."

"Robert! You apologize to your sister right now." Though smaller than all of his boys, Darryl Rose still gave off a commanding presence and had his son cowed before him.

"But dad, she-"

"Apologize!" Shaking slightly, Robert turned to his sister and muttered out an apology. Though he knew it was insincere, Darryl decided to let it go for now. He was never going to get control of his son but at least he could get him to be quiet, even if just for a little while.

"I'll have you know I'm in a relationship right now."

"Bullsh-" Robert started to say before catching his father's eye and quickly shutting his mouth.

"That's wonderful, kiddo." Michael was very happy for his sister, knowing that she had had a number of flings but never managed to get something steady. never finding the right one for her. "So who's the lucky buck?"

"Well actually-"

"Yes," her mother butted in. "Who is this mystery mammal? You never talk much about him whenever you call."

"That's because I only have a few minutes bu-"

"My little girl is dating?" Putting on his most serious 'dad' face, he puffed out his chest. "I won't allow it," he grumped before breaking character and laughing along with Michael and Trisha. He even got a smile from Sean which he considered a great victory.

"Well, you see, it's not ex-"

"What do they do, dear?" Getting exasperated at being interrupted constantly, Trisha tried to answer their questions while attempting to clarify exactly _who_ she was seeing.

"Works for the Savannah Central Hospital. Emergency surgeon. Now-"

"Oh wow! Honey, did you hear that? Trisha is dating a doctor!" Her mom was practically gushing at the news.

"Well. That's certainly something, sis." Sean gave her an appraising look. "Hours must be hell I imagine. Does that make it hard sometimes?"

"Yeah. I won't lie to you, there are days when it's difficult. But being there when S-"

"You planning on having any kits?" Except for Isaac, Michael was the only sibling with children so he was always interested if any of his brothers or sister planned on starting a family.

"Well, we've only been living together for a year but it would be kinda diff-"

"A year? And he hasn't proposed yet? Darryl, do you think we should talk to this boy?"

"I think that's a little drastic-"

"Mom! Can you not interfere in my love life? Please? We'll get to that point when we're ready. And anyway, it's not a h-"

"What's his name?" Robert finally jumped into the conversation. The last person she wanted to hear from finally gave her the opening she needed.

"Sarah." Five pairs of eyes widened as five mouths suddenly clamped shut.

"I beg your pardon, dear?" Her mother, certain she had heard wrong, couldn't stop herself from asking.

Trisha smiled happily, glancing at each of them in turn. "My girlfriend's name... is Sarah." The silence in the room was so prevalent, the drop of a pin could have been heard by a deaf gazelle. Satisfied that everyone had finally heard her, Trisha kept her smile wide and bright. "Yes, I said my girlfriend. I am dating a doe, we live together, we love each other and that's the end of it."

"We didn't mean anything by it, dear." Peggy spoke honestly. No one at the table seemed as if they had any opposition to her choice of significant other. It mainly just appeared to be a bit of shock which was slowly wearing off. "Just weren't expecting it. That's all."

"Wow sis. I didn't know you swung that way." Though it was said in a teasing manner, with a grin on Michael's face all the while, she could tell there was a bit of a hesitant question in his words.

"She's not the first doe I've been with. I've also been with bucks. And a few different species as well," a loud clang of a fork hitting a ceramic plate came from the direction of her mother's chair which she chose to ignore and carried on her response to her brother. "But Sarah...she's different. I really want to make a life with her and I think we've done that."

"I'm happy for you, Squirt." His face was still morose, but Sean's eyes spoke volumes about his feelings. Despite everything that had come crashing down in his own life recently, he still found it within himself to feel joy for his sister.

"Ditto, sis." While not the most eloquent of responses, it still did mean a lot to her that Robert could express anything close to congratulating her on her happiness.

"Do you have a picture? I want to see this girl who managed to capture my little girl's heart." Grinning, Trisha pulled out her phone and scrolled through until she found one of their recent excursions. They had taken a weekend to head out to Sahara Square and go to one of the restaurants in the Oasis Palms casino. Normally they couldn't afford but Nick was nice enough to pull some strings with an old acquaintance of his to get a discount. They had posed next to opening of the casino floor and one of the employees was nice enough to snap a picture for them, though Trisha suspected it had more to do with their very tiny pairs of shorts rather than true generosity. Handing it off to her mother, she sat back waiting for her reaction. "Oh, she is precious! And so beautiful, dear. You look so wonderful together. And her fur colors. They're so pretty. Does she dye them?"

"No, that's all her. Luck of the genetic draw. She really is something unique." She saw her mother hand the phone to each of her brothers, the three of them raising their brows at the sight of such an attractive doe hanging off their sister's arm. Everything was going perfectly until her father got a hold of the phone. His smile, which had been on his lips the whole time they had been discussing his daughter's relationship, suddenly faltered before vanishing. In it's place was a stoic look, only the faint twitch of his lip giving any indication of his current train of thought.

"She's a _quad?_ " His voice was a mere whisper yet every mammal at that table heard it clear as day. His sons all wore the same confused look that mirrored their mother's. They did not understand the term 'quad' and took to exchanging glances hoping someone would fill them in. Trisha however, knew that word. She had heard it whispered in the town when she first met Sarah. Seen it shouted at her doe. Used a belittlement and a weapon to hurt her. And now it was being said by her father.

"Yes father. She's a quad." She caught his gaze with her own when he raised his eyes from the phone. Two pairs of bright blue eyes, identical in shape and color, a gift from father to daughter, locked together in a heated stare down. She could sense this wasn't going to go well for the two of them, but there was no way she was going to abandon her bunny.

Darryl could have forgiven his daughter for interacting with a quad. Maybe even for dating one if she had not been aware of what she was. But her tone and her words told him all he needed to know. "You've been sleeping with a _quad_?" The look in his eyes pierced her to her very soul. The anger in them intense and unyielding. "Do you even care about your future? About _ours_?" The spittle from his mouth and the venom laced words had the doe stiffening.

"Darryl, what is this all about?" Peggy had rarely ever seen her husband worked up about something, but this was definitely one of those times.

"Oh he has a problem with my girlfriend because she was born with a rare fur coloring." Keeping her eyes trained on her father, she decided to enlighten her mother on what her husband was inferring to. "You see, out in the country, there's an old superstition about rabbits like Sarah. Four different colors on a single body is supposed to be a horrible omen and anyone who talks with one will experience a horrible fate." She made sure she kept their eyes locked together so he could understand the full depth of her anger and disappointment. "That's why she was made an outcast by her siblings. Nearly three hundred mammals around her every day and they all ignored her or tormented her from the time she could crawl. And then, if that hadn't been enough, the entire town shunned her as soon as they learned of her. Save for her parents and a couple of her sisters, that doe was alone for more than twenty years. That's what a 'quad' is, mother. It's a forced exile away from family, friends, and love. And I rescued her from that and fell in love. And dad can't deal."

Her father was upset by her words. On one paw he was telling her the facts that he had learned from his father and his grandfather, and on the other he was disturbed by what she had described to him, about a tiny kit alone her entire life. "Sweet Pea-"

"No. You know what, I'm done." Pushing her plate back and standing, she stepped away from her chair and moved towards the door, pausing only long enough to look back at her mother. "Thank you for breakfast, mom." Then she turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving a breathless silence in her wake. Only the sound of a door slamming shut was heard throughout the house.

* * *

Anger has a way of dampening the world around someone. A single thought or feeling amplified to such a degree that others cease to consciously exist for a time. Her father and the way he had acted about Sarah fueled her anger enough to make it several blocks down the road before she realized that she was now soaked from the cold rain washing over her. Though she let out a loud groan, feeling the chill seep through her fur and into her bones, Trisha refused to turn around. She would not give him the satisfaction in thinking she hated the rain more than his words. She could take the cold, she decided.

Though she had been walking, she had no clear destination in mind. It was only when she saw a familiar cross-walk that she realized just where she had traveled to. As there were no cars on the road this early in the morning in a downpour, Trisha kept her slow pace crossing the street. She didn't need to glance up to know where she was going and kept her gaze at her feet, moving side to side as she navigated through chain link fences into an open area.

The terrain changed from a gravel path to grass, though it was not any more of a relief from the tiny stones in the bottom of her feet as they now sank into a flooded field from the heavy rain. Letting out a heavy sigh, Trisha let her shoulders slump downward while forcing herself to keep moving. Eventually her toes hit the edge of a wood chipped area making her look up for the first time since leaving the sidewalk on her current path. The sight before her was very familiar. Somewhere she had spent days and days in her younger years.

Taking a few steps further, the brown bunny reached out and hooked her paw around a chain stretching straight up. Moving to the other side, she grabbed a second chain and sat down on a very wet nylon seat. Metal creaked as rusted metal squeaked in protest at the weight they now supported. She was not worried. She may be older but she was still smaller and lighter than most mammals she knew would be using them.

Kicking her feet forward, Trisha hauled back on the chains when she reached the peak of her motion. Her legs tucked underneath her, she felt her speed increase before pulling on the chains again and letting her limbs flow forward once more. Back and forth the doe moved, each time increasing her height on the swing-set. Something she had always enjoyed as a kit now was helping to calm her mood. To drive out the negative feelings she was plagued with.

With the rain ever present and the sunlight all but hidden, time to the bunny meant nothing. She had spent what could have been hours or possible just minutes swinging from peak to peak before slowing, her motions becoming more sluggish until she eventually drifted to a stop. Her anger had fled but not the disappointment. The disappointment in her father and how he had questioned her love for her doe. How he had tried to slander Sarah. To turn her, his own daughter, against the mammal she loved more than anything in the world. Hanging her head, she let the silent tears fall to mix with her soaked clothing.

She heard him coming before she saw him. Approaching from behind, his paws squishing in the grass before reaching the wood chips and dragging his feet through them. Each of her brothers had a particular gait and she recognized this one, though it was the last she expected to hear. Feeling paws lay a plastic garment over her shoulders, she shrugged the raincoat on with nary a word spoken, though a light touch on the paw still resting on her shoulder. Without a sound, the second rabbit took the swing next to her and sat down, poking at the ground with his toes.

"Hey sis." Robert was never much for sentiment and he may try to start arguments for the sake of controversy, but he was never one to avoid true problems in the family. Having seen his baby sister storm from the house in anger, though not without shedding a few tears on her way, he had listened to his parents quarrel for a few minutes before standing and made his way out of the house, making sure to grab his sister's rain jacket and his own.

"Hey." The sad tone in her voice had Robert frowning. He had rarely ever heard his sister so upset, the few times having been in high school when attempts at joining groups or making friends went awry. "I'm sorry if I ruined everyone's breakfast."

"You got nothin' to apologize for, Squirt. Dad was way outta line. Mom let him have it the minute the door closed." Trisha couldn't help but wince. She hadn't meant to cause a problem, she just couldn't sit there and listen to her father anymore. "So. Is it true?"

Letting out another sigh, Trisha kept her gaze downward, a little apprehensive about where the conversation might turn. She didn't want to hear another word about Sarah being a quad. "Is what true?"

"That she's Judy Hopp's sister?" Trisha couldn't help but roll her eyes. _Of course that's what he would focus on. Judy's condition has nothing on hornbun over there._ "Sean looked up trauma surgeons on his phone while mom and dad were arguing and we found her employee page. Kinda cool you're dating a Hopps."

"I'm dating one of them, best friends with Judy, and occasionally double date with either her and Nick or their sister Jessica and Fin. I also have an open invitation to the Hopps farm for dinner anytime I'm ever in the area." Unsurprisingly, Robert's jaw had fallen open and refused to close. Hopps had become a household name in the Lapin world and her brothers had not been immune to the dangerous and sexy draw Judy portrayed whenever she was in front of the camera.

"Can you introduce me to some of them?"

"Hell no," she laughed. "They actually like me. I'm not ruining that just so you can try and fail to land a Hopps gal." He looked a bit insulted, though playfully so.

"I'll have you know I could sweep any of those does off their feet."

"And when they start screaming you'd drop them and run when Poppa Stu comes after you." Chuckling, the buck gave his sister a wink.

"Touche, sis." The rain had subsided into a light drizzle, the clouds opening slightly letting a few rays of sunlight to shine through. Taking it as a sign, Robert stood and turned to his sister, offering his paw. "Ready to go home, sis?"

Looking up at her brother's kind face, she shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "No." She grasped his paw and let him pull her up. "But I need to."

* * *

It was with great apprehension that she stood in front of the doorway to her childhood home once more. Robert stood behind her, not only giving her the support she would need if she turned the knob but also allowing her to make her own choice. She could still back away if she so chose and she was grateful for that. Her brothers may sometimes be obnoxious and go too far with their teasing some days, but they all cared deeply about their little sister and would always protect her when she needed them.

Though she hesitated, her paw frozen a few inches from the brass, she had already decided that she needed to go in. To face this problem head on or it may persist until she would have to make a terrible choice and she knew what that choice would be without a moment's consideration. She wanted to give her parent a chance to redeem himself though. Turning the knob and pushing the door wide, the two rabbits stepped across the threshold, suddenly enveloped in the warmth of the home, a stark contrast to the bitter cold they had spent a good deal of time in.

"Oh honey!" A flash of brown was all Trisha saw before being smothered if fluffy towels. She started to reach up and take them off of her head when she began shaking side to side in a furious motion as two paws rubbed the towel back and forth. "You are absolutely soaked to the bone. Here, take these and go get changed into something warm. Come back down once you're ready and we'll..." she glanced towards the kitchen before turning back to her daughter. "we'll sort this all out. Okay, hon?"

Trisha gave her a smile that failed to reach her eyes as she made her way to the staircase and began a slow trudge up the wooden planks to the landing at the top. The distance was not quite so high to keep the hushed voices from down below out of reach, but she could not care what they were saying. Their discussions did not matter. If they supported her relationship then that was it. If they didn't, well, that was on them. Her Sundae was far too important to her.

As the image of the white doe swam to mind, she paused in pulling off her soaked clothes to glance over at her phone, now corded to her charger on her bedside desk. More than anything did she want in that moment to call her bunny. To seek strength to withstand the onslaught she might be walking into. To feel her love though they were hundreds of miles away. But she knew Sarah was at work and couldn't afford to be distracted by her family matters, especially when they were as ridiculous as they were. Instead she dried off, grabbed a new set of clothing, and pocketed her phone in case Sarah called.

Feeling overwhelmed, she paused at the top of the banisters, wrestling with herself on whether to face her father and confront his ignorance while hoping to change it, or let him stew in it, knowing he just hurt his daughter's heart by trying to force her to choose between love and his superstitious nonsense. In the end though, she still loved her father and wanted to give him a chance to change.

Padding softly down the staircase, her ears swiveled to detect any hushed conversations and determined everyone was in the living room. All for one. By the time she had reached the bottom landing, she had already pinpointed that her father was the lone soul in the other room while her mother and two of her brothers sat on the furniture in the living room catching up on family matters and what they were currently doing for work. Idle chitchat meant to waste time until the showdown between father and daughter which they would no doubt eavesdrop on. Squaring her shoulders, Trisha walked past her siblings and her mother and stepped into the kitchen.

Darryl Rose had been sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee since his daughter had stormed out on him. He had foolishly spouted off old nonsense he heard from his father and grandfather so many years ago. He thought it was absurd back then as well. He truly didn't believe there were bunnies that even existed that had four fur colors and that they were simply superstitious stories. Then, when he had seen proof for the first time in his life that there was such a thing, all of the old stories and warnings stormed back and he channeled them, hurting his little girl in the process. But with the sound of light paws crossing the threshold onto the linoleum and the brown fur crossing his vision as he lifted his head, he felt for the first time in hours that maybe all might not be lost.

"Dad." The word was harsh. Said with little to no love and a fair amount of contempt. The idea of her father opposing her love for Sarah made her miserable but the anger was so great that no tear would be shed on his account. Nothing he could say would ever tear the two of them apart and she meant to hammer that home as hard as she could.

"Hey Sweet Pea. Why don't you sit down." A raised brow from his daughter was all the response he got, her body making no indications that it would be moving from her fixed spot. Darryl sighed and decided that if just being in the same room was all he was going to get then he might as well take it, though he hung his head, unable to meet her stare. "Honey bun. I'm...I'm sorry." If possible, her brow raised even higher as the last words she had expected to hear in that moment were uttered.

"I should never have said the things that I did. So many stories from your grandfather and great-grandfather regarding qua-... _mixed_ rabbits that when I saw her picture, the first one I've ever actually seen, I dredged up all of the old stories and immediately jumped on them for answers. And...well to be honest I'm rather disgusted with myself for how I acted. I let the prejudice and superstitious nonsense from my parents become my own and I never wanted that." The sound of a wooden chair dragging across the floor had him lifting his head to watch his daughter sit across from him. Her face was softer though still featured a hard look of disappointment.

"Do you understand the depth of what that 'nonsense' put her through?" He winced at how calm her voice was, knowing that underneath was a visceral pool of anger. "For twenty years she was alone, dad. Twenty years of either being ignored, insulted, or hurt. And now even the next generation is doing it. She can't visit her parents without her nieces and nephews sneering at her in disgust because of what their parents taught them. What your father taught _you."_

If Darryl could feel more ashamed than he did in that moment it would have been astounding. His eyes were cast downward, his whole body slumped and miserable. His wife had been right to smack him across the ears when their daughter had walked out and his boys...the glares from them had pierced his heart. He wished he could take it back, but that's not how time works.

"I know. And I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Standing, Trisha turned to head out of the room, leaving her father to drop his head once more before she stopped, placing her paw on the door frame.

"One day I'm going to bring Sarah to meet everyone. When I do..." She looked back at him, the sadness in her gaze overwhelming, "When I do, I want you to ask for _her_ forgiveness."

* * *

The rest of the day went by without incident. Her mother and brothers simply pretended that nothing had happened that morning just to alleviate the tension in the house. Trisha allowed them to do so and spent the morning gabbing away with her mother about Sarah and the newest city gossip as if nothing was wrong. And honestly to her nothing was. She interacted with her brothers, laughing at Robert's bad jokes and asking Michael about each of his kids. The only one she didn't speak with was her father. After his comments, even with his apology, she still couldn't stand to look at him. He seemed to understand that and din't press the issue preferring to make small talk with his boys and spent much of his time with Charlie when he arrived.

Her other brother's arrival gave her the distraction she needed to once again slip from the house. This time it was to get the exercise she had missed that morning. Hooking up a pair of earphones to her iCarrot and began jogging around the block. With AC/DC screaming in her head and her paws slapping the pavement, Trisha found herself able to forget all the stress of the day, with the wind caressing her ears and thoughts of her bunny waiting for her at home. After her standard five miles, the brown bunny climbed into the neighbors tree like she used to do as a kit, swinging her legs back and forth, remembering with a certain fondness another tree she had been in.

_From branch to branch, she hauled herself up and leaped to the next. Within a few seconds, she had collected the book and sat straddling the larger branch beneath her._

_Having retrieved the mystery bunny's book, Trisha looked down to see her just about to leave the safety of the willow. "So whats the book about?"_

_The white doe turned to look at where she had last seen Trisha and her eyes darted around when she couldn't find her. A giggle coming from above her had her looking up and gasping in surprise. "How did you get up there so quick?"_

_"Magic!" Trisha teased._

Even the memory of that day made her smile so big it hurt her cheeks. It was the second best day of her life, meeting the love of her life. The day after, their first coupling and when they became a true pair, held the top slot. More than ever did she wish she was at home on their couch, snuggled up with the white doe and relaxing after what surely must have been a hard day for Sarah as well.

Dusk had fallen before Trisha decided it was time for her to finally head inside. As she crossed the threshold, she could hear lots of activity coming from the kitchen, sounds of forks and spoons clanging together, ceramic hitting wood. The group was getting ready for dinner and her brothers seemed to be helping, a rare treat indeed. However, the day's earlier events had left her with a severely twisted stomach and a strong desire to empty her stomach at the idea of eating. So instead, brown hindpaws hit polished wood, the bunny climbing the stairs to her old room.

Quietly shutting the door behind her, Trisha walked the few feet to her bed, faded purple covers still rumpled from her early rise, and collapsed onto them. It was barely nightfall with dinner only now being served, but after her workout the doe wanted to do nothing more than sleep. _Tomorrow's another day,_ she thought. _Maybe dad and I can find a way to get past this._ She thought about taking a shower but ultimately decided to do it in the morning and damn the consequences. The only true desire she really did have was to talk to her bunny. She stared at the phone, trying to decide if she should call her or not. Her shift was supposed to end at six, but with doctors she never really knew when she'd get to see her. Her schedule would usually change several times throughout the day.

Luck it seemed was on her side that night, perhaps karma's way of balancing the horrendous experience from the morning, when her screen lit up with a muzzletime request. Quickly flicking to accept the call, she immediately perked up, both because she was happy to get to talk to Sarah but also so her bunny did not see her depressed. "Hey sweetie, I was just gon-...Sarah?" Taking in the sight of tear darkened fur and redness around her beautiful eyes, Trisha felt her heart clench. "What's wrong honey?"

Sniffling hard, trying to keep more tears from falling, the mixed doe tried to calm her trembling voice. "So-Something terrible happened today..."

An hour later, a nervous and visibly distraught brown bunny took a seat on the train bound for the city of Zootopia.


	5. Chapter 5 - Real life is messy: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We continue our drama filled segment of Sweet Treatment, this time getting a peek into Sarah's day away from her bunny.
> 
> Warning: End of the chapter deals with a sensitive subject. I won't spoil it but if you reach a segment uncomfortable to you, you may wish to stop reading.
> 
> Disclaimer: Finally got into a meeting with the Disney executives. Apparently my explicit content in my writings has made them wary at letting me purchase the rights to Zootopia, but several members of the board did say I was in consideration for their new 'mature' themed animated movies.

**_Sarah's Day..._ **

"Love you too, Rose Petal."

The look on her doe's face right before the screen cut out had the mixed bunny giggling. Though she missed her bed warmer terribly, the sight of her blue eyes over the video call was enough to lift her spirits. It may have surprised the two how much the separation hurt, but as they had been nearly inseparable for over a year it wasn't altogether shocking. They had both slept in empty beds over that time, especially with Sarah's chaotic schedule, but then they were merely ten minutes by cab, not a four hour train ride, provided it was even ready to depart when they were.

Laying her head back on the pillow, Sarah tried for a bit more shut eye before getting up for the day. She was not too thrilled with what was awaiting her at work. For the first time in weeks she was going to be on the swing shift, much to her great displeasure. Working mid-day for the painted bunny was always a challenge as she did it so rarely that it would mess up her sleep schedule whenever she was asked to cover. This time it was her co-surgeon, an ocelot in her mid-thirties who had come down with a severe flu her kids had brought home from school. Blue had ended up cornering her that evening all but begging her to cover, promising a two-day vacation if she could bail him out. Knowing what a tight spot he was in, Sarah took a page out of her brother-in-law's book and haggled him until she had five days pocketed.

After tossing and turning for nearly ten minutes, she finally had to resign herself to the fact that sleep was not going to come as easily as she wanted. Slapping her paws to her face and dragging them downward, she let out a frustrated sigh. The empty space next to her was just too much of a distraction. Trisha's pillow had her scent, but it wasn't enough. She wanted her brown, bubbly bunny with her. Someone to hold tightly and snuggle warmly. Someone to make love to and sleep next to the rest of the morning. Instead it was going to be a cold shower to wake herself up followed by an immediate warm shower to counteract the horrible chill she would be bestowing upon herself.

She would think that having to get up at all hours of the day or night for different shifts or emergency calls after all this time she would be used to getting up. but just like every other mammal in existence, her body simply was not designed that way. Attempting to roll herself out of bed, her paws got tangled in the sheet and she suddenly found herself falling off the side of the bed to land facedown on the carpeted floor. For the first time that morning she was glad Trisha was not there as she would have teased the poor doe relentlessly for that. As it was, Sarah simply lay there on the floor for a minute, wrestling with the idea of just staying like that for the rest of the day, but ultimately decided she really did want that week off and struggled to break free.

It didn't take her long, but all the while thinking how much her significant other would have a field day if she knew how clumsy she was that morning helped speed up the process. Bleary eyed and cranky, Sarah stumbled to her feet and dragged herself into the bathroom for the inevitable awful start to what would most likely be an awful day. Planting her head against the tiled wall underneath the shower head, Sarah let the water cascade down over her ears and her back. She was finding herself so tired that it took her three tries to find the fur shampoo as she refused to lift her head up.

It was with some reluctance that she finally got out of the shower though the sudden drop in water temperature probably helped move it along. She giggled slightly as she toweled off her head making her fur poof up. Normally the two would use disheveled fur as an excuse to give each other a good tongue bath to smooth it all down, but since she was solo this morning, she would have to rely on a comb and a fur dryer.

Satisfied with her appearance, Sarah headed back into the bedroom to lay out her clothes for the day. Casually glancing at the clock to see if she should start getting ready, the sight of the minute hand only having moved twenty ticks made her eye twitch.  _Twenty minutes. That only wasted twenty minutes?_ She was still stuck with two hours left to kill before she could even begin to think about heading to work, and even then she would still be early.

Deciding to stay with the house rules, Sarah let herself wander the apartment in the buff, enjoying the feel of the air conditioner drifting through her fur. It wasn't very hot outside, not nearly enough to warrant the use of the apartment's central cooling, but she had grown up spending nearly her entire life outside in the cool breeze, surrounded by trees and cliffs where the temperature was much cooler. Even her office at the hospital was kept several degrees below what the rest of the hospital was set at. When Trisha was at home, she would keep the rooms as warm as possible without overheating the mammals, so Sarah was enjoying one of the few benefits to having her bunny away for the day. Pouring herself a bowl of raisin bran flakes and a glass of carrot juice, she made her way over to the couch and propped her feet up with one of the throw pillows.

The only real thing she could be thankful for at waking up so early before work was an opportunity to catch up on her soaps. She never really understood why she enjoyed them. The acting was subpar, the stories were awful, and any time they featured a hospital scene she had to scoff at the ridiculousness of it all. Yet for some reason, she could not keep herself away and often found herself becoming more involved with the characters than she cared to admit. Her bunny would tease her relentlessly about watching them but Trisha was not without her own guilty pleasure. Sarah would routinely point out her obsession with Storage Wars and how the DVR was filled with it.

She managed to binge two episodes of her favorite show before calling it quits, realizing she wouldn't have enough time to make it through a third. Making a mental note to keep going when she got home as she was nearly two weeks behind, the doe bounded into the other room, quickly throwing on her leggings and shirt before heading out, only just remembering to lock the door behind her.

* * *

Having been roped into a morning shift, Joanna sat at the nurse's station bored out of her skull. For the first time in a month the emergency room was slow and while that was great for stress and for catching up on her paperwork, the rest of the time was spent discussing gossip with a few of the other nurses. Squinny had quite a few good pieces of gossip having overheard one of the MRI technicians getting busy with the head of the pathology department which kept them all entertained for a good half hour. Now the gossip had run dry, the paperwork had been filed, and only half the rooms were full of patients. From experience, they all knew either today would be completely like this or chaos would erupt and mammals would be poring in as if it was one dollar beer night at the tavern down the road.

Out of the corner of her eye the cougar saw the emergency entrance doors slide open, making her start to bounce out of her seat, hoping for some sort of interesting case. A flash of a black ear and a gray one had her catching herself and sitting back down with a sigh. At least her boss coming in was always a joy. Sarah Hopps was one of the nicest mammals she had ever had the pleasure of meeting and they worked very well together, but it being her, and quite early she thought as she looked at the clock, and not a patient, the room went back to a bored atmosphere.

"Morning Sarah. Don't have much for you this mor-whoa! Jeez hon, what happened to you?" While medical staff rarely ever had the luxury of being fully rested, Joanna was a bit put out to see her friend so exhausted. "Those bags under your eyes could fortify a levee, girl!" A few other joined in on the chuckling coming from the cat and even Sarah had to smile at the joke.

"Trisha went home to visit some family this weekend. That plus the swing shift makes one tired bunny." Lifting a wolf sized espresso, Sarah took a large sip of the hot liquid and shuddered at the taste. It was definitely not her favorite drink, in fact she hated them. But coffee was not enough to get her back to fighting form that morning. Luckily she could ditch the cup once the heat had gone and switch back to her regular caffeine fix to make it through the day. "You said no cases right now, Jo? Alright, well I'm gonna chill in my office and review a few files before the shift starts. If I should fall asleep, god willing, don't wake me up until then. It's gonna be a long day." Heading off from the nurse's station, she returned Jo's comedic salute and turned down the hallway leading to her office.

Climbing up into her chair, Sarah let out a loud groan at the cases covering her desk.  _That's what I get for bagging off early to go see Trisha off, yesterday._  Pulling the first stack towards her, she began to read the reports, sighing as they all seemed to be routine.  _Case of stomach flu needing an IV. Sprained ankle, wrapped and given crutches. Back injury, injection and light painkillers._ One by one the files moved to the 'Complete' bin, leaving her desk clear before she knew it. Luckily it had wasted just enough time for her to begin her shift. Snagging her coat and whipping her stethoscope around her neck, Doctor Hopps headed out to start her day.

"Anything going on, Jo? Squinny?" In the hour she had spent in her office reviewing files, the lobby had steadily become a bit busier to where they were in constant motion, though thankfully it was not all out Armageddon. Joanna, who was busy talking with another doctor passed over a file to the rabbit/squirrel hybrid who opened it and read the file aloud.

"Got a sixteen year old otter. Came in for some sores on his private parts. Ran normal tests, came back positive for Treponema pallidum." Taking the file, Sarah raised her brow.

"Syphilis? Really? Don't kids use condoms anymore?" Evie laughed before turning back to her computer and printing out the next set of labels for filing. The mixed doe moved on from the station and headed for the exam rooms. Pausing outside 3B, Sarah checked the chart and verified the name on the door before entering. "Good morning Ethan, how are we doing?" The young male seemed uncomfortable, which she immediately thought was because she was a female doctor but a sudden forced cough had her turning to view another otter, this one a female most likely in her late forties. With the spotless pantsuit and designer purse, Sarah had a feeling she was a business mammal and was used to bossing others around as she glared at the bunny as if she was beneath her. "You must be Ms. Creekles." She extended her paw to the mother who looked at it with a scowl.

"It's  _Mrs._  And I would like to know why we have been kept waiting for so long. My son needs to be back in school and I have a very important meeting to get to." Trying to keep herself from rolling her eyes, Sarah tried using a trick Nick had once taught her and put on a fake smile that had all the perception of sincere.

"Well I certainly do apologize for that,  _Mrs._ Creekles. As you know bloodwork can take a bit of time. Now, Ethan. Do you mind if I call you Ethan?" The boy shook his head, still trying to avoid looking at the doe. "Alright Ethan. I have a few questions and I need your help to get a clearer picture, okay?" Grimacing, he nodded, still keeping his mouth shut. Now she wasn't sure if it was due to her gender or his mother's looming presence. "Ethan, when did you last have unprotected sex?"

At this the mother shouted at the doe, outrage in her voice. "How dare you?! My son is a good boy. He has never had...  _sex_ , and he most certainly would never do so without protection."

Without missing a beat, Sarah forged on. "Very well, when did you last use recreational drugs? Was there any needle sharing?" The mother this time jumped from her seat.

"This is outrageous! My son is not some hooligan out there having...you know, and he definitely is not using drugs!"

Turning towards the otter, the rabbit decided to shut the mother up for a bit. "Alright then, Mrs. Creekles. Then have you ever been treated for your STD?"

"I... _what?!"_ Now her outrage had a mix of confusion thrown in, allowing Sarah to continue.

"Mrs. Creekles. Your son has syphilis. That happens from unprotected sex, sharing needles, or passed on through the womb. So either he was playing around with another mammal, sticking god knows what into his veins, or you didn't check who you were screwing when he was conceived. Take your pick and while you think about it, why don't you sit down so I can discuss treatment with your son?"

* * *

"You know Blue is gonna be calling you into his office again, right?" The cougar had not been able to stop smiling after watching the enraged mother otter storming out with her son lagging behind, a prescription note in his paw.

"Hey, he wanted me here for a swing shift, he's got me here for a swing shift." It was completely unprofessional of her to have acted that way, and even more so to get a sense of satisfaction out of it, but she had to admit watching the female have a meltdown had made her day a little bit brighter. "What did she say it was? Bug bites?"

"Yep. Not sure how she came to that conclusion and honestly I'm rather reluctant to think about how she knew what to google to see bug bites. You don't think she made him drop trou, do you?" Joanna started laughing hard enough that she was shaking, a bit of her spittle finding it's way onto Sarah's jacket.

"Jo! Ew! Ugh, nasty. Anyways I doubt it. She's the bossy type, always having to be in control, but she's also a prude from what I could tell. Doesn't want to even acknowledge that her kid might be having sex. Even though she knows for certain now that he is, my money is on her pretending it never happened. I'm betting she just had him describe it to her. Though I think he already knew as he didn't seem at all shocked when I told him what it was." Sarah may not have grown up with a very caring family, but her parents were kind and loving towards her. She couldn't imagine being stuck as an only child, or at least a very small litter, and be stuck under a controlling parent like that one.

Joanna let out a few more chuckles before grabbing the next file. "Got a wolf. Thirty years old, extensive list of allergies."

Taking the chart, Sarah started scanning it. "What are looking at? Anaphylaxis? Hives?"

"Nope. Hurt his shoulder. Can't rotate it." Peering over the file, the bunny locked eyes with the big cat.

"So why mention the allergies?"

"Cause it's seriously long! I mean look at that!" The doe shook her head and headed off, checking the report of the list of allergies.  _Wow. Two pages. That_ is  _a serious list._ Opening the next room, she entered to see the wolf sitting on the exam bed.

"Mr. Derlan."

"Mack, please," the canine said with a toothy smile. Sarah offered him one in return.

"Okay Mack. Says here you injured your shoulder at work. What were you doing, exactly?" At that he looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, I work at Guitar City. Deal with all sorts of instruments, even ones for marching bands though I much prefer tending to customers interested in my own favorites like guitars and drums. Anyway, earlier today I was climbing to grab a sweet deep plum Ibenez six-string with chrome pickups that was up on the third row. The ladder I was on, well I may have been tugging a bit hard on the guitar rather than climbing up higher and rocked the ladder a bit. It swayed just enough and I fell, crashing into a set of drums. Hurt my tail something wicked."

"And that's how you hurt your shoulder?" Sarah questioned, writing down some of the details of his story.

"Not exactly. My shoulder was fine but after the little incident I had to clean up the mess. Well, as you can imagine I'm a bit of a klutz," he started blinking heavily, squinting as he sniffled hard. "Do you have a tissue or something?" Getting one from the doctor, Mack cleared his nose and thanked her. "So I was picking up the drums and, well, I knocked over the stand of saxophones and caused a tuba to tumble down from the top shelf onto my head."

"And that's when you hurt your shoulder?"

"Nah, I had to chase one of the sax reeds though. It rolled under one of the display tables. When I bent down to pick it up, I hit my shoulder on the corner of the table." Seeing her raised brow, he quickly clarified. "And that's how I hurt my shoulder. Um, do you think I can get another tissue?" Seeming to struggle with something, Mack blew his nose once more.

Fixing him with a stare, Sarah jabbed her pen into her note pad, ending her scribbles with finality. "Well, Mr. Derlan, let's take a look at that shoulder. Please take off your shirt." Unbuttoning the garment, Mack watched as the rabbit doctor moved over a set of stairs designed to let her examine larger mammals. Feeling a familiar twitch, he quickly asked for another tissue, clearing his nasal passage for the third time. Sarah started examining the muscle beneath the fur, poking and prodding the affected area for any signs of bruising under the tissue. "Mr. Derlan are you feeling any discomfort?"

"Not rea-..." His nose had started twitching again. "Um, Doctor Hopps, is there anything in this room that's flower based?"

Puzzled, she sat back slightly to look at the canine who suddenly appeared in great agitation. "Not that I'm aware of. We don't allow any scented products to be used in case of patients with allergies. No perfume either."

Glancing around, Mack's eyes traced over every surface in an attempt to find what was causing his nose to wrinkle. "Nobody tracked in any grass, did they?"

"Nope, no grass."  
"Mold?" His sniffling was getting worse.  
"Highly doubtful in a hospital Mr. Derlan. Are you feeling alright?"  
"Please tell me there's no cat saliva on the bed or something."  
"Cat saliva? Why would there be cat sali-..." Gazing down at her sleeve, Sarah could just make out the few droplets of spit that Joanna had accidentally sprayed her with. Hearing the wolf sniff severely, she looked up in horror.

* * *

Though the look in her eyes told the cougar that the rabbit front of her was pissed, she couldn't bring herself to stop laughing at the sight of the multi-colored doe's face completely covered in wolf snot. "I swear if today gets any worse I'm upping that offer of Blue's to two weeks off with or without his consent." Joanna shook her head offering the doe a sad smile and a roll of paper towels. Once the snot was removed and she had wiped her face clean with several disinfectant wipes, Sarah leaned forward onto the counter. "Please tell me the next one is something simple."

Joanna had been having a field day watching her boss struggle through the worst collection of patients she had seen in a long time, but even she felt this last one was going to break the proverbial camel's back, quite fitting for the next case. "Can't do that, hon. Mr. Schmeel is in exam room 12." Sarah let out a horrendously loud groan and dropped her head, noticing a very amused glint in the feline's eye. Pretty much every staff member's least favorite patient, Tom Schmeel was a hypochondriac camel of the worst kind. He spent hours every day online diagnosing himself with exotic and rare diseases, convinced he was dying from something new every day.

"That's it. Blue's gonna die from some random poison found in his morning coffee. And I'm pinning it on you for giving me this awful lineup." Snatching the file from the grinning cat, she stomped away trying to show her anger, however her soft feet barely made a sound ruining the display. Attempting to compose herself outside the patient's room, Sarah took a few deep breaths before entering. "Hey Tom. So what seems to be the problem today?"

Surprisingly, Tom Schmeel looked like an ordinary everyday mammal. He wore clean clothes that matched as an outfit well and he did not portray a stuffy or snobbish appearance or attitude. In response to the doctor's question however, he immediately began glancing around wildly, his nose twitching dangerously fast. Pushing his glasses higher up his nose, he rubbed his hooves together nervously. "Doctor Hopps! Oh thank heavens it's you. You always listen to me. Your friend out there just started laughing at me when I told her my symptoms and I'm quite upset about that." That surprised her as Joanna was always very kind and patient with the mammals who came to see them, usually leaving her jokes or comments for the nurses station where they would be kept in-house.

"Well I'll certainly talk to her about that. What are your symptoms?"  _Today,_ she wanted to add to the question as he came to see them three times a week on average, always with a new batch.

"The bridge of my nose has been itching like crazy, my ears won't stop wiggling, and my hooves feel cold and clammy." Sarah had to bite her tongue and stop writing for a second not to giggle at that last bit. Hooves  _always_  felt cold and clammy. They were hooves. "Also, my knee keeps making this weird popping noise whenever I extend it too far."  _Damn you, Jo. I seriously hate you right now. I'm gonna tell Evie to spike your coffee with laxatives next shift._

"Those are certainly an interesting combination of symptoms, Tom." He rolled his eyes up until they showed the whites, clapping his hoof to his nose.

"I knew it. It's DCP, isn't it? I  _knew_  I was going to be one of the ones who caught it."

That was one Sarah hadn't heard before and cocked her head curiously. "DCP?"

"Oh c'mon, Doctor Hopps. Surely you must know about DCP. It's been all over twitter and furbook! 'DCP is spreading like the plague', 'If you haven't caught DCP live, you're missing out.' It sounds just horrible! I knew I caught it. I'm going to die, aren't I?" Sarah's eye twitched while she pressed her pen into the pad hard enough to snap off the tip.  _I swear I'm going to kill you myself, Jo._

Breathing deeply to calm herself down, Sarah found her ears twitching uncontrollably along with her eye. "Tom. 'DCP' is also known as 'Drunken Cat Penis'."

"I have Drunken cat penis?!"

 _Oh I swear to god..._ "Tom! It's a band! 'Drunken Cat Penis' is an underground band that has gone viral lately. It's not an illness. Your leg pops because you're overextending it. So stop doing that. Your nose is itching and your ears are all twitchy because you probably have been eating those alfalfa sprouts again which you are allergic to." The camel looked a bit guilty, hanging his head. "Go home, Tom. You're fine. But I'll have Evie write you up an anti-histamine if you  _promise_  you won't eat those sprouts again."

* * *

"Jo, I swear I'm gonna-" Coming out of the exam room and making her way to the nurse's station, Sarah had been ready to skin the cougar alive for the hell she was putting her through, however the incredibly somber expressions of every mammal there brought her up short.

"Hey, hon." Joanna eyed the doe, trying to gauge if she was in a good enough place to talk to at the moment. "There's a situation that you might need to take care of. It's a big one."

Slowing her stride, the mixed doe eased up to the her two nurses, noticing that Evie was just as upset as Joanna was. Normally the only thing that could bring down everyone's spirits so low was the death or injury of a fellow colleague or their family member. A momentary panic flashed through her at the thought that it could be Trisha before remembering that Manta Bay had their own emergency hospital and would be unlikely to have her transported here. "What's happened?"

Without so much as a quip or witty remark, Joanna gave her a file. "16 year old girl. From Deerbrooke County. Tried to kill herself. Pills. Massive amount. Tri-county hospital pumped her stomach and thought they had her stabilized but she started experiencing some severe problems and she was airlifted here a couple days ago. She um...she woke up just a little bit ago and is pleading with her doctors to let her die. I figured you could talk to her." Raising a brow in surprise, Sarah lifted her head from the chart.

"Me? I'm no therapist, Jo. What makes you think I would be a good choice to send in to talk to-..." she looked down at the chart, "Melody?"

"She's a bunny, Sarah. Like you."

"Like me? There are plenty of bunnies here."

"No, hon." The cougar's sad eyes met her brilliant pink ones. "She's  _like_   _you_." Sarah watched as the deep amber eyes of her colleague traced over her ears and down the side of her face. A silent realization came to her as Joanna's words hit her like a freight train.  _Another one like me? I've never met another multi-colored bunny before._ Her mind was twisted in turmoil. She wanted to both meet and help a doe who was like her, but she was still concerned that she should speak with a therapist rather than a trauma surgeon. "I think it has to be you, Sarah. She won't speak to anyone. I don't think even Simon could get through to her and he's the best therapist we got. Just try, hon."

Swallowing hard, Sarah gave her a soft smile and headed for the elevator. The young girl had been admitted to one of the upper levels recovery centers. After she had been flown in from Tri-County General, the ICU had been watching her constantly for any signs of her destabilizing once more. Since she had awoken she had refused to speak to anyone other than to ask them to let her die.

Giving a nod to the attending staff outside the teenager's door, Sarah pulled the levered handle and walked inside. The darkened room was ideal for sleeping, but the bunny's sensitive hearing could tell the other doe was awake. Wanting to keep her calm and relatively open to possibly talking, she kept the lights dimmed and pulled over one of the stools to sit on, keeping herself level with the bed. "Melody?" She spoke softly. She was not ignorant to believe the other rabbit had missed her entrance. Regardless of what she had done to her body, her hearing was most likely still as sharp as her own. Sarah was trying to keep the tone soft to make it feel safer for the young teen.

"Are you going to finally let me die?" The words cut through her like shards of glass. This was a mammal in pain, seeking to end it all regardless of the consequences.

"No, sweetie. I'm not gonna let you die."

"Then leave me alone." Abandoning the stool, Sarah climbed up on the bed next to the girl. Letting out a growl, the doe sat up quickly. "Are you deaf? I said leave me alo-." With wide eyes and a thin lipped stare, her words cut off instantly at the sight of the rabbit sitting next to her. Her gaze traveled over the single gray ear and the black ear and cheek on the other side. Her white face and neck shocked her as much as the sight of the brown feet sticking out from her leggings. And her eyes.  _Her eyes are like mine,_  the girl thought with a mixture of fascination and wariness.

Sarah meanwhile was admiring the different fur colors on the other doe. While there was some black on one of her ears, it was in splotches, random in size and shape. The rest of her face was covered in light tan fur, though a few patches of white shone along her neck and directly beneath her left eye. She could see one gray foot sticking out from under the covers while the other one remained hidden. Her pattern and colors were much more chaotic than her own, but not any less intriguing or beautiful. She could also finally look into someone's eyes and see that she was not alone, the rosy pink shades of the iris matching almost perfectly. She imagined the other female was having much the same thoughts.

"Yes, Melody. I'm like you. I'm sure it may come as a shock seeing another... _mixed_  rabbit. I've never met another one either." She had stopped herself from using the term 'quad'. Though she may have outgrown the feelings it used to cause, the teen was most likely still bothered greatly by it. She had to admit that she had never thought to see if there were anymore bunnies out there like her, always simply trying to stay out of everyone else's way. With as many rabbits as there were in the tri-counties, surely it would have been easy to find out if there any others. She knew Bunnyburrows didn't have any but she never thought to look up any in Deerbrooke.

"You're...a doctor?" Melody was confused by what she was seeing. All of her life she had been treated as a second-class mammal. Shunned by just about everyone in the county that she had come across. Her siblings treated her like dirt and she was nothing more than a disappointment and another mouth to feed to her parents. Any dreams she had ever had were snuffed out quickly, told over and over that 'quads' were filthy, wretched rodents that weren't fit to be anything.

Sarah, who did not know how bad the girl had been treated and how she had been belittled into thinking she was worthless, gave her a happy smile and a nod thinking they were getting somewhere. Some common ground. "I most certainly am. Studied at Zootopia medical and I'm the head trauma surgeon of the ER." The news that another quad bunny had succeeded in following their dreams should have uplifted Melody's spirits, however, if anything, it had caused them to sink to new lows. Not only did she have to deal with her family's harshness, but finding out that one of her own kind had achieved so much had left her feeling even more alone. Sarah frowned as the teen laid back down and rolled away from her without saying another word.

A bit put-out by losing what she had thought was the start of a conversation that might have been used to gain the doe's trust, she decided to try a more direct approach. "Melody? Why did you try to kill yourself?" Silence was all the greeted her, yet she stayed. Unwilling to abandon the young mammal and let her clam back up and lay unmoving in the darkness. It took several minutes but her patience was rewarded.

"I'm tired." While not the answer Sarah was looking for, the fact that she was talking was a positive sign.

"I can imagine. It must have been exhausting for your body to go through that whole orde-"

"No. That's not what I meant." With a pause and a heavy sigh, the doe resigned herself to letting the doctor in. As another mixed bunny, she may understand better than anyone. "I'm tired of this life. I'm tired of being treated like dirt. Like I'm not even a mammal. As if I have no feelings. No thoughts. I'm tired of being abused and beaten by my siblings. I'm tired of being ignored and sometimes insulted by my parents. I'm tired of being pelted with rocks at school and having to walk through fields for hours just to get home without being attacked. I'm tired. I don't want to do this anymore."

Sarah could not contain her shock, her eyes wide and her jaw quivering at the thought of the awful childhood the teen must have suffered. She might have been ignored or sneered at, maybe even pushed around a bit by some of her siblings when they were younger, but nothing quite as severe as being assaulted. "Why? Why would they do that to you, sweetie?"

Rolling over to face the doctor, Melody fixed her with a confused stare. "Because I'm a quad. Didn't-..." Her words choked as she realized the other one like her may not truly understand like she had hoped. "Didn't you grow up like that, too?" The older doe could only shake her head in sadness.

"I was certainly a pariah. Ignored by everyone and shunned by my siblings, but I had a couple that stood up for me and my parents always were there for me. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that alone. I'm so so sorry." Leaning forward, she caught up the girl in a strong hug, stroking her ears gently. Melody could no longer pretend that anger was all that she was feeling and broke down, sobbing into Sarah's shoulder.

Having let the teen express her anguish until she had no energy left and fell asleep with her head nuzzled under Sarah's chin, the older doe had gently laid her back down onto the pillow before quietly slipping out. Stopping in front of the ICU nurses station, she made sure that they knew she was available to come at any time to see the patient if she needed her. It broke her heart to think of the child's life.  _No wonder she feels as if she has only one way out. Well, perhaps there's another way._

Getting back to the ER, she was thankful that they had remained relatively slow and barely missed her presence. She had some sympathetic smiles sent her way from the other nurses who were aware of where she had disappeared to, but they did little to bolster the doe's spirits. Threading her way between some of the larger mammals, Sarah had eyes only for the cougar. "Joanna," she started, hopping up next to the nurse. "I need you to call CPS. That poor girl is going nowhere near that warren if I have to hide her under my bed myself."

* * *

More emotionally drained than she could ever remember being in her life, Sarah stumbled through the front door of their apartment. Her shuffling feet tripped up and dragged the entryway carpet though she barely noticed even though she constantly berated Trisha for doing the same thing. Judy's graduation gift, her treasured medical bag, a rich chestnut hue matching Trisha's fur that would always hang over one shoulder, was dropped unceremoniously in the center of the hall after being dragged along the floor.

Pausing at the entrance to the living room, she gazed wistfully at the couch where her bunny lover would typically lay in waiting. More than anything she wanted to see those lovely brown ears flopped over the arm, ready to wrap her arms around the mixed doe and whisper and kiss her anguish and distress away. Instead she was greeted by the sight of an empty piece of furniture which made her spirit plummet further. She was alone in her misery yet she knew if she kept it that way she would sink into a depression herself. Rabbits did not handle emotional distress well.

Walking into the bedroom, Sarah quickly shed her clothes and crawled into bed before grabbing her phone. Taking a minute to smile softly at the homescreen, a picture of the two bunnies taken during a friends wedding where Trisha had snagged the bride's veil and slapped a top hat on Sarah's head before the two kissed, she toyed with the idea of just putting the phone down. However, the thought of seeing her bunny's smile and bright eyes made the decision for her as she keyed the muzzletime icon. It took mere moments for the call to be accepted and the blue eyes of her loving girlfriend came into view.

"Hey sweetie, I was just gon-...Sarah?" Taking in the sight of tear darkened fur and redness around her beautiful eyes, Trisha felt her heart clench. "What's wrong honey?"

Sniffling hard, trying to keep more tears from falling, the mixed doe tried to calm her trembling voice. "So-something terrible happened today..." After speaking with her for a few minutes, Trisha told her she was coming home immediately. Sarah wanted to protest, to let her spend more time with her family, but her need to be comforted kept her response to just a nod. Curling up with the now darkened screen, she let her tears fall onto the pillow.

She must have fallen asleep as the next thing she felt were two arms encircling her lovingly. "Hey, honey." Reaching up a paw, Sarah stroked the brown paw holding her tightly. "Are you okay?"

"No. I-...I think I will be eventually, but right now..." She pulled the arms in tighter. "I wanted to save her."

"I know you did, sweetie. You can't save them all. Especially when they don't want to be."

"But I could have done more! I could have talked to her more. Tried to convince her everything would be okay! I should have warned the nurses to watch her more carefully." Trisha kissed her between the ears, running her paw up and down her arm.

"You couldn't have known, Sarah."

"I should have. I'm a doctor and I failed that little girl. She slit her wrists and she died because I failed." her sobbing renewed, she turned into the embrace and pressed her face into Trisha's chest, letting her sorrow flow from her.


	6. Chapter 6 - The darker side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am a horrible, evil author. Leaving everyone hanging on such a tragic cliffhanger. Alright that's been acknowledged so let's move on. I'm thrilled that you all are showing so much support for the two OC bunnies and I hope this next chapter does not disappoint.
> 
> Disclaimer: A friend of mine, another fantastic writer on this site you may know as Cimar, is heading to Disney with plans at getting inside info into Wildehopps and if it shall be included in Zootopia 2. Therefore I am putting Operation: 'Get the rights to Zootopia by any means necessary unless it involves spiders or getting my hands covered in some sort of greasy or slimy substance as I really hate the feeling of anything on my hands which is stupid as my job normally requires that, although that is why I usually have the bosses order extra gloves for me to wear as I go through them quickly by trying to avoid the gross feelings of muck on my palms and fingers' on hold until he is back. Don't want to spook the characters. Shh!

It was the emptiness of the bed that caused Trisha to wake. Her blue eyes peeked from beneath heavy lids, her head turning towards her paw which was running over the vacant silk sheets. It was not an overly cold night where she would need the added body warmth to make it through, but the absence of the mammal she had slept beside nearly every night was intolerable and would keep her awake for hours.

Sighing heavily, Trisha sat up in the bed and swung her legs out over the side. Gathering up the comforter she shared with the other bunny in her life, she staggered out into the living room to see her doe sitting on the couch, the glow of the tv lighting up her nude form. Glancing at the clock and noting it was only half past two in the morning, Trisha let out a small groan. Sarah's ear pricked up at the sound yet she did not turn to acknowledge her.

Still wrapped up in the comforter, the sleepy bunny walked around to the couch and sat down next to her girlfriend. Parting the blanket, she raised it towards Sarah and glanced at the white doe. A dark brow raised, though if one wasn't familiar with the spotted mammal it would be easy to miss the black on black patch of fur covering her eye. Trisha gave her a smile and nodded her head towards the blanket. With a roll of her eyes, though half-hearted and not truly annoyed, Sarah moved under the other bunny's arm and let her wrap them up together in the heavy blanket. Raising a brown paw, Trisha stroked the different colored ears of her bunny, attempting to soothe her back to sleep. This was not the first time she had woken to find the bunny sitting on the couch staring blankly at the television. It had been happening nearly every night for the past two weeks in fact. Trisha did not want to mention it but she was becoming very concerned over Sarah's behavior, who had found herself envisioning that night in an endless loop.

After she had spoke to the young rabbit, another painted girl much like Sarah was, she had left feeling much better about the doe's chances. She had filed an order of protection against her parents and arranged for child services to come and find a way to house the bunny instead of sending her back to the hell hole she had been living in. Sarah had even toyed with the idea of taking the girl in for a while to give her an idea of a normal life, one free from the abuse she had suffered for years. Unfortunately that optimism lasted only a short while. When the monitors had signaled an alarm in her vitals, the nurses had rushed in to find that the bunny had managed to slit her wrists on a rusted piece of metal under her bed. The jagged wound had proved too difficult to take care of in time and she bled out quickly.

Sarah had been in her office at the time, filing the necessary paperwork to report a domestic abuse case for Melody when Joanna had knocked on her door before stepping in. The two had a 'no door' policy ever since they had become great friends and it normally was used to talk about certain gossip they had just heard or updates on patient cases. This time, the cougar entered looking extremely somber.

The rest of the evening had been a blur, though Sarah wasn't able to tell if that was because she was in shock or because she was trying to see through eyes brimming with tears. It had taken all of her strength just to make it home and she was very grateful to Evie for driving her. She had not wanted to be on the Metro after that incident. Thankfully Trisha had been able to race home as she did not think she would have been able to handle waking up alone again.

Administrator Blue had been kind enough to give her some time off until she could get her feet back under her, though he did require her to see a therapist twice a week until then. Sarah had not wanted to go, had not wanted to discuss that night with anyone else, but Trisha's stern look and the fact that she physically dragged her to the appointment had forced her to relive the horrible moment. She had not spoken to Trisha for the next two days, though they both knew deep down that she was not really mad at her, just depressed.

What her friends couldn't understand, and Trisha only being able to grasp the edges of it, was how it affected her so much on a personal level. As a quad, she had been mistreated and forced out by her siblings. A pariah among the town. Someone to be gawked at, insulted, sometimes even pushed around. She never gave up hope however that out there there were more like her and that one day she could meet them and go live in a better place. Now that she had finally met another one like her, she found that they would not have been her saviors, but she would have been theirs. Their lives were far worse than she could even imagine, and the idea of other mixed rabbits being mistreated made her sick.

Though still upset and her mind still reeling from the images replaying in her mind, Sarah was unable to fight the tiredness in her body for too much longer. Her head finding itself in Trisha's lap, the painted doe let her eyes close and finally drift off, comforted by the brown arms clutching her tightly. Rather than risk waking her again, she snuggled down beside her, making sure to never let go of her white furred body, keeping them as close as possible. Tucking the comforter around them both, Trisha clicked off the tv and wiggled into a much more comfortable embrace with her bunny. She planted a soft kiss between her ears and closed her own eyes before drifting off.

* * *

Little slivers of light had snuck past the leafy branches outside the kitchen window. As they moved with the wind so did the rays of the sun, causing them to dance over the tabletop which was currently occupied by two very silent does. Trisha drank her coffee, ate her cereal, but her body was on autopilot. Her eyes never left the face of her beautiful bunny, concern filling her thoughts. She wasn't sure how to handle this problem but she knew she needed to do something soon or she feared Sarah might never snap out of it.

Watching her move her spoon around but not really eating, only made her more worried for her beloved bunny. Sarah had been eating very little since the incident, most of which Trisha had to push on her rather strongly. She wasn't even able to get her to drink coffee, something Sarah had practically lived on since med school. So distracted was the brown rabbit that her paw accidentally knocked over her coffee when she next reached for the mug. Swearing under her breath, she quickly got up and grabbed a towel before wetting it in the sink. She had halfway turned back towards the table when the flicker of an idea hit her.

Circling around behind her doe, Trisha brought her lips down to give her a light kiss between her ears. The paw that reached up from below her and stroked her cheek was like heaven to the chestnut bunny and she failed to keep a content sigh from escaping her lips. The sound caused the other bunny's ears to stiffen and her paw dropped down once more to lay in her lap. This time, Trisha kept her disappointed sigh silent.  _Soon, honey. Don't you worry. I'll have you smiling again by the end of the day._

While Trisha headed off to take a shower, Sarah watched her go with a hint of longing. She missed her doe but something inside kept her from being able to express it. The night before, when she had snuggled up to her under the blanket, had been the most emotion she had been able to muster up in the two weeks that felt like a millennia. For the first time, her dreams had been pleasant, filled with images of friends and family rather than the bloody floor where the girl had passed. Upon waking though, the memories and sadness had swarmed back in, determined to beat her down into an emotionless wreck.

She wanted nothing more than to drag Trisha to bed and lay there for days upon days, shutting out the world past their front door. pretending as if nothing outside of their bedroom even existed. How she would love to be there, to feel Trisha's paws on her once more. To feel their lips come together. Yet she couldn't. And she knew why.

For the first time in her life, she understood what the world saw of those like her. Mammals in the city might not care, but any rabbit who grew up outside of Zootopia scorned her, even to the point of crossing the street just to get away from her. It hadn't bothered her. She had her sister, her parents, and the love of a wonderful doe. She was happy and content with the way her life had turned out. And then she had seen how fortunate she was to have been born a Hopps.

The sight of the girl's pleading eyes, the desperate desire to die, had haunted her ever since that day. She had lived a life of horrors. Constantly beaten, insulted, told she was worthless. Her parents hadn't even come to the hospital to retrieve her for burial. Instead she had been cremated and Sarah had driven out to the docks to sprinkle her ashes into the sea. Her words had failed her, resorting to a silent prayer for the young doe to find peace at last. It was then that she had broke, her mind crawling back in on itself and her heart deadening to the world around her. Only her, only her bunny, was able to reach her. She was the pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel. Something she wanted to desperately crawl back to.

But she held back, dragging herself down into the abyss she had fallen into. It wasn't that she didn't want to be happy. She truly did, she wanted everything back the way it had been. But she didn't want to ruin Trisha's life. She couldn't subject the doe to the derision and sneers meant for the painted bunny. It may not have happened yet, but there was always the possibility and she wouldn't let herself be the reason Trisha was unhappy. She needed someone that wasn't a pariah. Someone that other rabbits didn't hate.

She considered leaving. It wasn't the first time the thought had flown through her mind. To just get up, walk out that door, and disappear into the world. She wouldn't be looked at twice in the city, and once she made it back to the Burrows she would be spending all of her time alone anyways. Yet she couldn't. She couldn't bear to leave her Trisha. Every time she imagined leaving, her mind always showed her a distraught bunny, her beautiful blue eyes misted over as she wept at being left so coldly. She didn't want to go, she just didn't know what would happen if she stayed. Would others like Melody's family and the rest of Deerbrooke find her one day? Think it was alright to beat on her because she was thought of as less than a true rabbit? Would they hurt Trisha? She had no answers. Only fears. And fears have a way of making everyone believe the worst.

"Hey, sweetie." Sarah gave a start at the voice coming from directly in front of her. Trisha had finished her shower and now stood with a towel wrapped over her ears and another tucked around her waist and chest. "You looked a million miles away right then. Something on your mind? You want to talk?" A silent shake of the head was all the response Trisha got. Trying to hide her disappointment, Trisha plastered a smile that was partly genuine and partly forced onto her face. "Well, why don't you go hop in the shower as well. I've got a few plans for the day and I want you to come with."

"I...I don't think that would be such a good idea," she said in a soft voice. While hearing her speak was like the purest music flowing to her ears, Trisha could not stop a pang of sadness coming from her heart. Slowly, she moved towards her doe, making sure to keep their eyes locked together, unwilling to break the trance. Sarah was the first to look away, her gaze going to the floor while she wrung her paws together. "I think I'll just...stay...here?" Her voice had trailed off at the sight of two brown hindpaws entering her vision. Her eyes widened before raising her head to see her bunny's face mere inches from her own. Trisha could not help herself and licked her lips sensually, envisioning what she had been missing with her beautiful girlfriend. Sarah gulped audibly, suddenly overcome with both lust and fear. More than anything did she want to lean forward and let their lips meet. To give in to the actions her body craved. And then the moment passed.

Trisha forced herself to pull back. She could see the desire and longing on her face but she could also see the doubt and the fear. The hesitation in her eyes at wanting something so badly that it hurt yet at the same time trying to fight it so desperately. She couldn't be certain what was going through the young doe's mind, but Trisha was not going to sit back and let it wreak havoc on her girlfriend's soul. Her voice slightly raspy with need, the brown doe's lips parted and managed to get out a few words. "You're coming with me, Sarah." She allowed her paw to reach out and cup the softness of her cheek, the limb trembling as she tried to contain the feelings surging inside her at the faint touch.

Any argument Sarah might have found flitted away into nothingness at the feel of her bunny's fur caressing her own. Her pink eyes closed as she leaned into the touch, unable to stop the slight nuzzle she gave the open palm. For all of the thoughts of leaving, of trying to save Trisha from the uncertainty of the future, of what may befall her from being associated with a painted doe such as herself, the simple touch of her paw turned them all to ash. She knew she had to push her away. Instead she laid her paw over the one on her cheek and nodded.

* * *

Very soon it became obvious to Sarah that Trisha's 'plans' had been in fact only one  _plan_  and it involved her. In fact, it was solely about her. She really shouldn't have been surprised. Trisha was never one to leave someone she loved in pain and sadness, and the fact that she had been unable to drag Sarah out of her depression over the past two weeks had the doe very worried.

Though the two had been together for well over a year, nearly all of it in the same bed in the same apartment, the brown doe was completely unprepared for the severity of Sarah's reaction to the suicide of the young rabbit in the hospital. She had never seen her this depressed and because of that she had no idea how to help her. Finally, Trisha had turned to Judy, knowing that if anyone had ever seen the mixed bunny in this state, it would have been the sister who had always cared for, and looked out for her. While concerned about Sarah, Judy was certain that her friend would be able to reach her sister. She spoke at length about what she found had helped Sarah in the past, letting Trisha in on all of her sisterly secrets. Because of that, the two lapines found themselves walking down the stone paths throughout the city park.

The location was not lost on the white bunny. While not the natural detective Judy was, Sarah was just as intelligent and her own career path required her to be just as deductive. The fact that she not been her usual self and had instead sunk into a deepening depression combined with their current trip through the trees was more than enough for her to piece together that Trisha had spoken to her sister which had ended in a reveal that walks through the forest had been how Judy would help her when growing up.

It certainly told her much about how deep the love Trisha had for her went. She had been nothing but withdrawn, unable to show any real sort of affection for her, yet the brown bunny refused to give up. Though she could tell the amount of her resolve was quickly fading. The grip around her arm, though loving, was unconsciously desperate as she clung almost fearfully to the doe's limb. As if under the belief that if she weakened her grasp for even a moment that she would lose Sarah forever.

It was something that did not go unnoticed by the painted bunny and inwardly she sighed. She realized that by becoming withdrawn, fearful of her own emotions in dealing with the experience, she had unwittingly been hurting the one mammal she loved above all others. It was never her intention to cause so much pain to others, especially not to Trisha. Pulling her up shy, Sarah nodded towards a nearby bench in response to the questioning glance those bright blue eyes sent her way.

The moment when they had become seated quickly stretched into an awkward silence, both wanting to speak but neither wanting to be the first to go. Just as Trisha had gathered the courage to open her mouth, Sarah's voice from beside her was startling enough to keep her silent.

"I'm sorry." While pleased to hear anything coming from her bunny's lips, this was not even near the top of what Trisha had expected. So stunned was she that words failed her for the moment. Sarah, having been left in silence for a response and not looking towards the shocked bunny, quickly filled the void. "I know I haven't been fair to you. Or to anyone else for that matter." She kept her eyes on the path beneath her feet, unwilling to look up into the eyes of the doe she loved as she finally voiced the thoughts she had been having for so long. "This was all my fault." Sarah, who had not been expecting it, gasped at the tight hug she was suddenly dragged into.

"God no, sweetie. None of that was your fault. Don't for a minute think that it was." Keeping one arm wrapped around her doe, she used the other to stroke the mismatched ears that lay down her back.

"But I should never have gone in there! I'm not a therapist! I drove her to it, I just know it."  _And there it is,_  Trisha thought sadly. While she may think herself mysterious, Sarah was mostly an open book to everyone. She wore her heart on her sleeve at all times and it hadn't taken more than a few minutes listening to her mutters and stammers during her therapy session for Trisha to conclude that she felt guilty about the whole thing, rather than just saddened at the loss of the young doe. She wanted to bring it up at the beginning, hoping that addressing the issue early would help more, but her therapist had warned Trisha not to voice her assumptions because if she was wrong it could make things worse.

"Sarah, look at me." Her tone was soft but firm, commanding the doe's attention. Hesitantly, pink eyes raised from the ground to stare into her bunny's sapphire orbs, tears silently running down her cheeks. "None of this was because of you. That poor girl had been tormented for so long she felt she had no other way out. She was strong enough to end it but not strong enough to keep going. I know you're an incredible doctor and a wonderful and beautiful mammal, but there are some things even you can't change, honey."

Sarah hung her head once more, not wanting to look the bunny in the eye when she broke both of their hearts. "Trisha, we can't do this anymore. I can't let you be dragged down because of what I am. You deserve better than me."

Her breath catching in her throat, Trisha felt a rock drop into the pit of her stomach. That tone, the one that conveyed so much sadness and regret, struck a chord deep within the bunny. One that she had never forgotten and had hoped to never hear again. Out of all her relationships she had been in, only one had hurt her so deeply. Only one mammal had left her by the wayside and she would be damned if she was going to lose someone that special to her again.

"No." The word was simple, her tone finite. She had never been more sure of anything she had ever said in her life since she had first told the mixed doe that she loved her.

Sarah for her part, looked up in surprise at how forceful the brown bunny's voice had become. "Trisha, I'm trying to protect yo-"

"Don't care." The look of confusion on Sarah's face would have been something for Trisha to smile gleefully at any other day, but for now she wanted her to know exactly who she was dealing with and how stubborn she truly could be.

"I want you to be happy."

"Already there."

"But I am-"

"Beautiful?"

"No!"

"Smart?"

"Trisha stop," Sarah growled as she tried to scoot away, only to have the brown doe follow her on the bench.

"Sweet?"

"Trisha!" Sarah shouted as she turned to the bunny causing her problems. "You don't understand! I am a Quad! I am noth-" The feel of a digit pressed tightly across her lips stopped her mid-sentence. She could only watch as the one she feared to lose brought their faces closer together. Freed from her touch, Sarah licked her dry lips, trying to desperately get the doe to understand. "I don't want you throwing your life away because of me."

"Oh my sweet little Sundae. You truly don't know after all this time?" Reaching up and caressing the black cheek of her bunny love, she leaned in, bringing their lips nearly together. "You are my joy. My world. You  _are_  my life." And then she kissed her.

Though it was soft, mostly a chaste act, Sarah felt it course through her as if Trisha's lips had been made of fire instead of the smooth and delectable flesh they were. All of her thoughts, her arguments on why they needed to separate, began to slip from her mind. She wanted to hang onto them, to force the two of them apart before more harm came from what she was, but the words uttered to her with such loving tenderness and the gentle touch of her lover's reassurance that this was what she wanted kept them out of reach.

It lasted only mere moments, yet the two of them panted heavily when they had parted lips. It had been so long since they had been so intimate with each other and for Trisha it was hard not to strip the doe in front of her down to her fur and ravish her right there in the park. Had she been able to read the thoughts going on in Sarah's own mind, that may have been exactly what would have happened.

"I'm not going to be able to get rid of you, am I?"

"Sweetie, I hold a masters in Astrophysics and minored in Statistics. I can think of no scenario in which you will ever be able to convince me to let you go." Sarah could only shake her head as the brown bunny stood and hauled her up along with her. "Now, let's go home. I've been missing my bed warmer for weeks and I don't plan on letting you out until we're thoroughly exhausted and then have slept to regain it all back again."

They were almost at the park gates when Sarah remembered something. "I thought you said you minored in bagpipes?"

"Oh I did. But I needed something to fill the hours after the bagpipe band I was in fell apart so I added another minor."

"Wait...Bagpipe...band?!"


	7. Chapter 7 - Holding one last breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is a direct continuation of Chapter 41 of 'A Bunny CAN Go Savage' after Nick has been shot and rushed to the hospital. It is not a necessary read but more of a behind the scenes. I hope you enjoy it.  
> My apologies for it being shorter than normal. The concussion I sustained is still affecting me and I didn't want to leave everyone hanging for too long. It is getting better so I hope to have everything back to normal soon.
> 
> Disclaimer: ...What was that? Sorry, got distracted by Netflix. Zootopia. Rights. All that. *grabs popcorn again*

There are, on rare occasions, times when the ER department is calm. Almost serene even. The lack of patients needing desperate and immediate care near zero and the staff gets a chance to catch up with their paperwork. These times are viewed as favorable by those in the waiting room, thinking they will get in and out faster. For the doctors on call and the nurses at their stations however, there is an ominous cloud hanging over their heads. For while it seemed like a blessing, they all knew chaos would soon strike.

For one doctor, it was a time of great foreboding as she had experienced this phenomenon more than once in the last year. Though it was never a guarantee that bad things were about to come through those glass double doors, Sarah nevertheless began psyching herself up, getting ready for what she felt was an inevitability. Feeling closed off and slightly claustrophobic, she left her office, determined to seek out some company down the hall to take her mind off of the deceptive silence.

"Hey Jo." Thankfully, her most reliable nurse and closest friend in the whole hospital was not busy besides tapping away at the screen in her paws. More than once she had caught the feline scanning her furbook account on her phone. During downtimes, Sarah rarely had a problem with it and the cougar knew better than to look at her mobile if there were patients to be treated. "Anything coming in?"

Lifting her head, Joanna gave the bunny a sympathetic look. "Sorry hon. You know I would call you the minute something hot was coming in but it seems to be just a slow night. Although we should be grateful for that, right?" she said with a raised brow.

"I know, I know. A slow ER is a healthy Zootopia. But it's so  _boring_. I mean, I don't want a fourteen car pileup but a broken bone would be nice." Jo couldn't help but chuckle at the joke although Squinny looked a bit shocked. While she had been there for a while working under Doctor Hopps, she still had yet to learn the rabbit's sense of office humor. "Worst thing I've had so far is a severe case of louse infestation on that honey badger in here earlier and honestly I would prefer not to end on that low note." She sighed before resting her paws on the counter. "I have a feeling it's gonna be a long night. I'm gonna grab some caffeine. Anyone want anything?"

"Umm, I'll have a rabbit small with three sugars." Though a squirrel/rabbit hybrid, Squinny was closer to the size of a bunny and would routinely go by that sizing scale, though for clothes she would need to go with extremely large squirrel clothing to accommodate for her long, fluffy tail.

"I'll take my usual cup of black with extra cream," Jo ordered while becoming absorbed back into her phone.

"Jo, how many times do I have to tell you. A cup of coffee with cream is  _not_  bl-. Ugh, never mind." Grumbling to herself, Sarah turned and headed for the staff lounge where several kinds of drink machines rested. Taking her spot in front of the coffee maker, she quickly got her friends drinks poured and stirred before turning to her own guilty pleasure. The dark liquid poured into the white cup, making an almost poetic duality that quickly vanished down the gullet of the white bunny. She quickly refilled her cup, wanting to enjoy her next cup more slowly while still getting the caffeine boost now.

Taking a few moments to savor her drink, Sarah leaned back against the counter, relishing in the rich aroma. The quality of the coffee might be  _lacking_  to use the term lightly, but it was such a stark contrast compared to the smell of sterilizing cleaner and latex gloves and a welcomed break. She knew she would eventually need to move back into the bright lights and bare white walls, but for now she was going to enjoy the much dimmer environment of the lounge. She did need to be quiet as several residents were currently crashed on the couches after having spent several long shifts following along different doctors. They weren't yet used to working an average shift most ER physicians would have to deal with, but they would eventually work their bodies up to it just as she had.

She was about to take another sip when the flash of red and white lights outside the window alerted her to an incoming ambulance. Because she had been in the lounge she had missed the advance call but she quickly leapt into action. Dark liquid splashed from three cups suddenly dropped from now alert paws, the emptying styrofoam nearly crushed under her feet as Sarah ran out the door to the entry way. She had barely reached the doors before they slid apart and two EMTs rushed in pushing a bed in front of them. Though the level was slightly higher than Sarah's head, she had no trouble seeing the bloody clothing hanging off on either side.

"What do we have?" Like most doctors, her ability to switch from casual and chatty to focused and determined was a great asset. Those who might become distracted could be a hazard and rarely made it to graduating. The bunny held her paw out for the chart, grimacing at the small droplet of blood resting on the bottom of the sheet.

"Male fox. Mid thirties. Gunshot wound to the chest during a traffic stop according to his partner. Close ra-doc?" The EMT, still wheeling the patient forward, halted his rundown as Sarah jumped high enough to land on the bed. Gazing down at the face of one of the very few mammals she had hoped would never end up on her operating table, she couldn't help but feel a sense of alarm wash over her.

"Oh shit. Dammit Nick, not you." Spotting the badge still on his uniform, the shirt of which having been torn open to reach the wound to apply pressure, the sight of blood coating the bronze made her shiver.

"Doc? You know him?" Ted the antelope, having worked as an ambulance EMT for several years and who was currently running the fox down the hall, was a bit unnerved for one of the first times in his career. Beyond her first few surgeries, he had never seen Dr. Hopps so flustered and figured it must be because she knew the patient which would be enough to startle any surgeon.

"He's my brother-in-law." Breathing in deep, she switched her emotions off, putting everything on the back burner until she was done saving him.  _He's just another patient_ , she reminded herself. "Condition?"

Straightening himself, Ted mentally slapped himself back into gear. "Shot close range. Small mammal calibre. Based on breathing trouble, may have punctured his left lung. No exit wound." Sarah swore under her breath. Bullets left inside the chest cavity made surgeries much more complicated as they had to remove it before treating the wound.

"Alright. OR three, now. Gordon," she cried as her team gathered around her. "Four pints fox blood. Meet us in the OR. Daniels! Where's Daniels?"

"He's off today," spoke up the hornless ram following close behind. The bunny shook her head in dismay.

"Not the day for this. Alright newbie, I need you to put in a call for a extraction surgeon while we get the bleeding stopped. He can't heal with that bullet in him and I'm gonna have my paws full fixing that damn lung." With a quick salute that Sarah would find amusing were it not for the emotional turmoil she was in, the ram took off, his hooves clacking loudly down the hall as he moved in haste. Turning to the two EMTs, she instructed them to slide Nick over to the table from the cart. With that done, she stepped over to the side where her nursing assistant put clean gloves over her delicate paws while the technicians left for their next call. They spared a glance for their fallen comrade, wishing they could help him more. The departments may be separated but they were still family.

"Okay, we need to move quickly here. I want that wound cleaned and the excess blood suctioned off as much as possible." Not for nothing was Sarah's team one of the most efficient and highest praised in the hospital. The speed at which they moved, almost in perfect sync without any words being necessary, revealed a harmony among the many different species working under Sarah. There were no prey, no predators. Only mammals that cared about every living being that came through their door.

"Intubate. Get that ventilator going," she ordered.

"Intubating." The sound of the tube going down the fox's gullet was highly unsavory to the rabbit, her sensitive ears telling her far more than she would ever wish to know about what was happening inside as it ran along his throat.

"Clamp." Hearing her words repeated before a cold piece of steel landed in her paw, Doctor Hopps moved it into place, stemming off the rushing flow of blood in one area. Calling for a second, and then a third, Sarah maneuvered them around each other making sure the worst of the bleeding was halted. "Prepare a chest tube," she called out to no one in particular, however they all knew their tasks and Squinny, her newest recruit, was quick to assemble the necessary pieces.

A small piece in the back of her mind made a mental note to approach the young hybrid the next chance she had, to reassure her that she was doing a terrific job on her staff, however the part of her in control paid little attention to what may happen in the future. Her steady paws moved from rupture to rupture, quickly stitching those she could and sealing the ones she couldn't with surgical glue.

Pausing for a moment to review her work, careful to view every artery and vein in case she had missed one, she only moved on once she was satisfied everything had been properly dealt with. Turning to her staff, she gave them a small nod allowing them to all breathe a sigh of relief. Though there was still much to do, they felt the worst might just be over. Now it was time for the spare fox blood to do it's job while they continued to put the mammal back together.

"Bring the tube over. Alright everyone, we're going in between the left ribs from his side. I want suction ready to clear the tube as we insert..."

* * *

With his bleeding under control for now and the chest tube helping to clear away the air left in the cavity, Sarah took a moment to let her mind focus on everything that had just happened. She was by no means a rookie when it came to surgeries or life and death choices, but not even her first emergency patient had caused her to feel this stressed before. It wasn't a surprise though, she knew. There's a large difference between having to operate on a stranger and having to save the life of someone you cared for and loved.

She took a moment to stroke back the disheveled fur from around the fox's eyes, hoping against hope that the brilliant greens of them would open and see her sister's face soon though of course with the amount of anesthesia in him and trying to deal with the blood loss, him coming around now was an impossibility.  _Probably a blessing,_ she thought.  _His snark would drive away my whole team._ The sight of some of his fur being made an even darker red had her coming up short, realizing she had just wiped his own blood across his face with her used gloves. Shaking her head at how distracted she was letting herself get, she stripped the gloves from her paws and tossed them in the trash before leaning against one of the sink counters and taking a few deep breaths.

"Well Nick. I suppose you heard it was quiet down here and you figured you'd help us all break up the monotony, huh?" A few of her staff monitoring the fox's vitals gave a light chuckle at that. "The one day off Judy gets to have and you go and get yourself shot. You know she's never gonna let Bogo give her a day off again, don't you?" Now giggling to herself, Sarah clamped a paw over her lips to keep from outright laughing. "If I didn't know how much Judy loved you I wouldn't bat an eye if someone told me she arranged you to take a bullet so she would never have to take a vacation again."

Trying to keep the tears from shedding, Sarah kept her eyes on the vulpine currently on her operating table. The machines hooked up to him and the tube sticking out from his chest. It was so much worse seeing it from the perspective of a loved one and she found herself suddenly feeling much more sympathetic to those that faced such a vision before. A much more somber and serious tone entered her voice as she spoke without a waver in her words. "You  _will_  get better, fox. Judy needs yo-."  _Oh no._  A sudden realization hit her with all the subtlety of a freight train.  _They're tied. If Nick goes..._

Leaping from the counter, Sarah immediately threw on another pair of gloves before reinspecting every tied-off vessel and checking her work on the now sealed lung. Her overwhelming panic at having seen Nick on the table had temporarily shoved aside the underlying problem of the Bond he shared with her sister. She double checked and then triple checked her work, making sure it was the best she could possibly do to give him the highest chances at survival. She finally let out a relieved sigh at the sight of every suture and stitch being nearly perfect.  _Bar any complications, he should be fine._

A sharp and loud knock jolted the bunny from her thoughts. Turning towards the open door, she was a bit shocked to see a large cape buffalo in operating scrubs standing in the doorway. She looked familiar but Sarah was having trouble putting a name to a face and what department she might be in. "Can I help you?"

"Someone called for an extraction?" While most buffalo had a fairly deep and gruff voice, this one did not. Her voice was clear and soothing, something that must come in very handy when dealing with patients. Mentally the rabbit doctor sighed.  _Of course, I recognize her now._

"Beth Bogo. Been a while." Back in school the two mammals, while being separated by a few years in course study, had a healthy rivalry in some of their shared classes. They could easily have been friends yet they never seemed to actually click. The fact that they were in different specialties and so saw very little of each other outside of classes was most likely the main reason. While Sarah wanted to become a trauma surgeon, Bethany went into extractions dealing with bullets and shrapnel, anything that might be caused during a crime or major catastrophe. It didn't surprise the bunny considering who her father was.

"Hey Hopps. Who do you have on the table there?" Gazing at the red fox with more than a hint of curiosity, Beth moved slowly into the room taking care to avoid some of the more delicate instruments under hoof. While definitely not the first fox she'd ever seen shot, on the contrary a large amount of her patients tended to be canines, foxes in particular, she had never seen a doctor seeming so devoted to one especially a smaller prey mammal like the rabbit before her.

"Bethany Bogo, meet Officer Nick Wilde." She didn't miss the widening eyes of the cow nor the way her jaw dropped open slightly. "I'm gonna guess the flash of recognition there has to do with your dad?" Shaking her head to clear the sudden cobwebs that had taken root, the buffalo grimaced.

"Yeah. Daddy always has something to say about this tod whenever we have our Saturday dinners." Unable to keep a smile from forming, she gave the bunny an amused look. "Based on the way he described him, I half expected him to have a forked tongue and a pitchfork." The two shared a soft laugh at that, Sarah finding the description rather accurate on some days. "I take it you know him, too?"

"Mhm. He's married to my sister." If Beth's skull had been any thinner, she probably would have left herself with a concussion as hard as she smacked it with her hoof.

"Hopps. Judy Hopps. Wow. I'm even thicker in the head than my dad whenever mom tries to hint going on a date." Her mix of both embarrassment and amusement fleeing from her face in favor of a more serious look of contemplation, the buffalo moved over to the bed. "Well let's make sure Mr. Wilde is up and about to annoy my father even more in a few weeks. I don't want to move him so can someone go get a portable scanner? We need to find this bullet so we can get him fully closed up."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Sarah cried out as one of her nurses hastened out the door. "Are you sure this is such a good idea? No offense Beth, I know you're great at what you do, but don't you think you might be just a bit too large for this?"

"I just pulled steel shrapnel from a collapsing building out of a squirrel this morning, I can handle a fox. Besides," she murmured almost low enough that even Sarah's sensitive ears couldn't catch. "I owe him this."

"Owe him?" Taking a deep breath, the cow gazed down at the fox.

"His father saved my life."

* * *

"He's rupturing!"

"Someone clamp that! We're gonna lose him if we can't get this sealed again!"

"Vitals are falling!"

"Goddammit! Bullet must have been plugging an artery. Flip him, we'll have to get it from the back."

"Doctor that will only speed up the blood loss!"

"We don't have a choice! It's too deep!"

A pair of pink eyes stared hard at the vulpine whose skin was quickly paling. "Don't you fucking die."

* * *

Having changed out of her bloody scrubs, the mixed rabbit took a few calming breaths while moving down the hallway towards the waiting area. Her paws would not stop shaking which she knew would not be any help to the mammal she was about to go see. Though she had worn gloves, she could almost imagine the white fur stained red and dripping with the tod's blood.

Wringing her paws together, she leaned against the wall, focusing with every ounce of energy she had left to compose herself. She would not be the one to put that stress on the waiting bunny just beyond the next door. Finally feeling the shaking subside, Sarah moved towards the double doors and keyed the security lock before slowly stepping out.

Seeing her sister pacing back and forth without end made the doe all the more bothered about the conversation she was not looking forward to. Something that she never wanted to ever experience was just about to happen and she needed to be strong for her sister. Her feet started carrying her towards the other rabbit when she caught the motion of a gray paw unconsciously rubbing her stomach in an overly caring way.  _Oh my god,_  she whispered internally, her face blanching at the thought. _She's pregnant._

Though she had stopped moving, Judy's eyes had not. On her next pass, the sense of being watched had her raising her head and spotting the painted bunny just a few yards away. Rushing towards her, Judy wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed as tight as she could. "Please tell me he's alright," she whispered.

Squeezing her back just as tightly, Sarah opened her mouth to speak but found her words failing her. So overwhelmed with everything that had happened in such a small amount of time, she found herself barely able to stand and could feel Judy's knees wavering as well. "Let's sit down..."


	8. Chapter 8 -The 10-7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back to Sweet Treatment! Now I wanted to let everyone in on a bit of info that I've been getting messages about. Since Sweet Treatment is a side-piece to the ABCGS universe, we will indeed see some snippets of WildeHopps and their life after the kits were born. Don't forget, they've got two loving aunts in this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: So I was told that because of my explicitness, Disney will not consider letting me write Zootopia 2. C'mon, Disney. I wouldn't put that in the movie! What kind of crazy man do you take me for? I mean some things might make it in, but they can be suggestive 'fade to black' type stuff. Don't need to go all 'Marvel Netflix' sex crazy. And besides, you put a penis on the Little Mermaid castle! Who are you to spout moral values? Hello?

With all the excitement happening around her the past few weeks, Trisha found herself wrapped up in one of the few things in life that normally drove her mad. A slow night at the 10-7. None of the bartenders or waitstaff complained though. They may have to be mired in the dull and uninteresting for a few nights was nothing compared to the rampant chaos that had been going on in the city.

After Nick had been shot down during a routine traffic stop and Judy discovering she was pregnant, the ZPD had found themselves missing two of their best officers in a single night. Since then, as crime still had yet to go down and a few officers even saying they had seen an uptick when news about the Wildes went public, the precinct had been operating at full capacity non-stop. Extra shifts meant little down time, and any that they had would see them home in bed rather than at a table with a glass.

The EMT's had also been hit hard in recent days. Violent crimes and serious accidents had climbed higher as well, meaning those who came in between calls no longer had that luxury. There were a few who would stop by but would quickly down a beer and take off in much need of shut-eye. Her mate had found herself flooded with patients nearly every night shift and would have trouble dragging herself through the door by mid-morning much to Trisha's displeasure.

The only group that seemed to have no change in their routines, and in fact were currently hogging through tables near the back, were the firefighters.  _A loud and obnoxious bunch they were_ , Trisha thought while keeping her opinions to herself. She didn't actually have anything against the ZFD, besides them being overly rowdy most nights, but as her best friend drove blue and her girlfriend worked with those driving white, she was a bit biased against those in the giant red vehicles with the really bad sirens. Although that didn't mean she was going to turn down tips, and the one good thing about those hose draggers were that when the booze got flowing, their pockets got lighter.

"Hey Trisha! Another round for table...table...What table are we?" Trisha could only shake her head.

"Table 7, Gary."

"Yeah that!" The doe waved in acknowledgment and got to work pouring a few pitchers of beer trying to hold back her laughter. The usual firemammals were at their usual table drinking their usual beer, yet they had quickly become so out of it, they could barely remember their own names.  _Lightweights_ , she thought with a quiet giggle.

"Hey Trisha." Feeling a tap on her shoulder, the brown rabbit turned to see a tired otter at her side. "I'm gonna take off. It's dead enough the Echo is sending me home and honestly after taking the closing shift the last three nights I could really use some shut eye."

"No problem, Em!" It never failed to amaze the otter that not matter how boring things could be, how hectic, how chaotic, even during extremely stressful times, the doe was always chipper and in a good mood. At least that's what she showed on the outside but Em didn't need to know that. "I'm pretty sure I can handle anything that pops up. Although," she glanced over at the firehouse group, "if Tom over there passes out he's gonna have to sleep it off. Last time I tried to haul an elephant out the door I sprained a leg and only succeeded in bruising it's trunk."

Em couldn't help but giggle, remembering that night. Trisha had tried to show off for her girlfriend and ended up needing Sarah to show off her own skills instead. "Alright, if you're sure then I'll head out."

"Don't worry," Trisha said adamantly. "I've still got Tee here." Glancing around trying to find the young server, she was left stymied as to her absence. "Somewhere. Where does she go?! Fastest little cretin I've ever seen." With a laugh and a quick hug, Em grabbed her purse and with a wave, headed out through the door.

Scanning again for the new addition to the 10-7 staff, Trisha was about to call out for her when a loud noise came through the front door. "Petey! Let. Me. GO! I can't breathe, big guy!" Knowing that voice, Trisha bent double laughing ecstatically. Hurrying back behind the bar and leaping up onto her elevated bench that allowed her to see over the counter, she took a stereotypical tv bartender stance and began cleaning a glass that was already spotless.

Watching the door open with a scowl on her lips, she glared at the canine walking into the bar. "Delta. I always knew some day you'd come walking back through my door. I never doubted that. Something made it inevitable." Covered in array of various splotches and spots making his tan coat appear to be an easel for an abstract painter, the wild canid stood stunned as he looked at the brown bunny.

Suddenly and with a smile, he snapped his digits and pointed one right at the lapin. "Marian Ravenwolf!" Trisha squealed with joy and in half a moment had clambered up on top of the bar counter and launched herself at the painted dog who caught her easily. Laughing right along with her, Delta twirled her around before plopping her on a stool next to him. "Hey Trisha. Been a while, huh?"

"It's been TWO MONTHS! Where the heck have you been? If it wasn't for E letting me know what you were doing I'd have called Nick and Judy to come arrest your paintballed butt and drag you back here!" Though she was be no means Judy's strength, the canine still winced when Trisha thumped him solidly on the arm.

"Ow! Hey watch it. I bruise easily." His glare was only halfhearted since he couldn't very well pretend to be mad with the doe who was quite gifted in giving as well as getting.

"How can you tell? All your weird splotches look the same to me." She started giggling heavily as he feigned a look of shock before breaking down as well. Jumping up and planting her rear on the top of the bar, she kicked her feet playfully. "So what were you up to in the Sahara for so long? Am I so awful you had to completely disappear on me?" she pouted.

"Oh don't even, you little she-devil," Delta scolded her while swatting at her hind paws. She snatched them out of his reach, her squeal of laughter reaching to every corner of the bar, though the only mammals in there were too sloshed to really care what was happening up front. "Roxie, that's the bomb detector over in Sahara Square, went on maternity leave. Well turns out her partner was the father, they thought they were being sneaky but just like Wolford and Fangmeyer they were insanely obvious. So they were down two detectors. Unfortunately me and Atom drew the short straw and got sent over there until they were back to working condition. Sucked though. Was too far from our apartments so we basically had to take a vacation from our homes but not our work. Although Atom loved it. As hot as it was we went for ice cream three or four times a day."

"Oh he must have been in seventh heaven." Knowing how crazy the adorable pup was about ice cream, Trisha could only imagine the amount of hi-jinx he could get himself into with that much sugar. Not to mention the mess, for as hot as the desert district was, any ice cream the canine got would have been melting instantly.

"He was that," Delta agreed. Turning his eyes to the bunny, he gave her an appraising look. "So what was my favorite busty, beautiful, brown, blue eyed, bubbly, bouncing, bartender bunny doing while I was away?"

"Oh this and that. The life of a bartender can be completely crazy. I mean just look at all the chaos tonight." Delta followed her waving paw around the room, viewing mostly empty tables before his eyes briefly landed on the gathering of off-duty firefighters. No less than three had passed out and another two were looking worse for the wear. It normally would be something of a no-no at the 10-7 for first responders to drink enough that they keeled over onto the tables, however it was a rookie orientation and they were determined to teach him the ropes. Unfortunately for the other mammals, the new guy could hold his liquor well and had drunk more than anyone else at the table and seemed to be still sober.

Turning back to the bunny, he raised his brow slightly. "I can see what you mean. Complete and utter nuthouse around here. I don't know how you manage to stay so sane."

"Who said I was sane?" she teased, giving him a wink and a smile. "Besides if you want to really meet crazy, you should meet Taco. And I'd introduce you if I knew where she was at the moment."

"Taco?" The confusion of the canine was evident in the tilt of his head, something that always amused Trisha greatly. "Who the heck is Taco?"

"ME!" The shrill cry rang out across the bar though no one appeared to be in sight. Before Delta even had the chance to turn around and look however, he felt an impact against his leg followed by a tight squeeze. Managing to just look down in time to see a white and black blur speeding away, Delta felt one of the wires in his brain fizzle and pop. "Wha-...What was that?"

"That's Taco. Faster than a cheetah on a caffeine binge. Half the time I have no idea where she even is. We hired her on to help out with serving but I swear she just likes to be out of the house cause she'll clean without us even saying a word just to stay here longer. The only time we really know what she's doing is whe-" A loud crash echoed out from the back room. "Well, when  _that."_

"I'm alright! Just tripped over the mop bucket. Thankfully it was the empty one this time." Staggering out of the backroom came a small white bunny with black spots over her face and arms. A small partial spot peeking out from her collar told Delta she more than likely had them everywhere. Stumping over to the bar while favoring her left knee, the doe clambered up on top of the nearest stool. Slapping her paw down, she gave the bartender her best fake accent. "Barkeep. Taco special. And be quick about it." Shaking her head, Trisha reached down under the counter and brought out a couple of aspirin and a bottle of water.

"Break anything this time, Tee?" While they were usually amused by the accidents the young spotted bunny would have, they also were very concerned about her well being. When she was able to joke after a spill much like she was right then, it made everyone feel much better.

"Nooo-pe," she said, making sure to add a  _pop_ to the end of the word. "Was timing myself to see how fast I could sweep the back room. Didn't do too badly until that stupid mop bucket jumped out in front of me." Twisting around, she then stared at the canine. Her face held no expression, just her wide eyes locked on his. He began to squirm a little bit finding the intensity in her gaze disconcerting. The minute he looked away however, the mood changed abruptly. "I WON!" she shouted before leaping over and wrapping her arms around the painted dog's neck and squeezing it tight. Before he could even utter a sound she was gone again, her speed not slowed by her apparent injury.

"Yeah, forgot to mention that. She's a hugger. Like  _big_  time hugger. If she and Atom both hugged someone at the same time they would probably explode. Which reminds me..." Hopping down to the floor, Trisha moved over to the swing gate and locked it securely.

"Hold on. I've  _never_  seen you use that gate. Not once. Hell I didn't even know there  _was_  one!" Reaching down and hauling out a new rack of glasses, Trisha moved them to the back counter making room for the liquor rotation later.

"Didn't use to. The other day though Tee went to hug me while I was behind the bar. Unfortunately she didn't know I was standing on the stool or that she would trip. Anyways, long story short her face ended up right in my derriere. And that's when Sarah walked in." Normally the brown bunny would not be embarrassed by such a funny accident, however the arched brow of her lover staring at her while another bunny was apologizing profusely while wiping crumbs from whatever she had been eating off her butt had been enough to redden her ears. Even the memory was causing her to heat up a bit.

"Well. That sounds fun." She glared at the canine who was trying and failing to contain his chuckling behind a paw. "You know, you've been seeing this girl for over a year and I still have yet to meet her. What gives? 'Fraid I'll steal her?"

"Oh there's no fear of that. She's not into canines." Although Trisha wasn't entirely sure on that last one. Sarah had always mentioned that Judy and Trisha were 'weird' for being into canines, though it had never come up in conversation if she found them attractive or not. She was pretty confident though that she could make Sarah not interested in anything but her.

Drumming his claws on the counter top, Delta flashed a smirk her way. "You mean like you?" he teased, waggling his brow.

"Oh get off it, you. That was one time. And I'm not sure your memory can be held as credible when you were as trashed as you were." Delta couldn't help but laugh at that. The night had been amazing but it was true he only could remember about half of it.

"Hey though, I do mean it. I'd like to meet this girl who has managed to make one of my best friends so happy. The way I've seen your eyes light up every time you mention her, it's like something out of a romance novel. Not that I've read any of course!" He cried out, his eyes flashing side to side quickly. "C'mon Trisha," he pouted while clasping his paws together. "It's been ages and the only thing I know about her is that her name is Sarah, she works an ungodly amount, and that she has crazy fur patterns. Which seems to be a thing with you huh? Surrounding yourself with me, Atom, and now this Taco girl? What are we, living Rorschach paintings for you?" He winked causing her to giggle. "Besides, if Atom hangs out with Nick one more time and he begs to take him to see the 'bunny made out of ice cream,' I think I'll break something."

"Okay, okay. I'll check with her and see when she can next get a day off. We'll all meet for mini-golf or something. Atom can try and break my record. And fail.  _Again,"_ she gloated evilly. A small creak of the heavy wooden door told Trisha someone else had just walked in and as she turned to view the newest customer, her grin deepened. "Speak of the angel and he appears."

Atom was a mammal who others just couldn't help but like. He was energetic, cheerful, and beyond friendly. It was even said that some of the perps he and Delta nabbed seemed to cooperate willingly simply because being near Atom made everyone less hostile. While it may sound preposterous, most of his friends would believe it in a heart beat, his partner included.

Ever the affectionate canine, the wild dog looked around the bar excitedly. Seeing several of his firehouse buddies, he started to run towards them with arms outstretched. He only made it a few feet however before his overly sensitive nose breathed in their foul breath and the drunken stupor they were in. Backtracking quickly with his paw clamped over his muzzle, he shook his head trying to clear the air.

"Atom, sweetie! Over here." His head perking up, Atom quickly looked around for who was calling his name only to have his eyes land on one of his favorite bunnies in the whole world. Bounding towards her, he surprised even himself how he quickly he moved around the furniture. Normally he wasn't the most graceful of mammals, however when there was months of hugging to make up for there was no stopping him.

Quicker than she could even acknowledge how fast he had moved, Trisha found herself swept up into a tight hug being nuzzled by the large and affectionate canine. "Oh Atom, I missed you too, big guy." She couldn't help but give him a light peck on the top of his head which was now tucked under her chin. As she predicted, the painted dog wiggled his nose before sneezing lightly. "Still not past that, huh?" Not really able to to figure out what she was hinting at, he merely gave her a large smile that let half his tongue hang out from the side of his mouth.

"Nope. And he ain't gonna. My partner swore off all the ladies, ain't that right champ?" Atom, who had busied himself with grabbing some of the peanuts laid out on the counter, turned his head towards his partner. Once again, the subject being completely uninteresting to the canine, he simply smiled in an attempt to make others think he was listening or had an opinion, when really he was only interested in the food.

"Oh I'm sure he'll find love eventually. Might be between him and a giant tub of french vanilla but it will still happen." Glancing up at the clock, wishing it to show her it was nearly closing time, her face fell slightly when she saw the red digital counter a few minutes shy of ten o'clock. Delta couldn't help but notice the way the corners of her lips fell slightly and her eyes went a bit dimmer.

Lifting up off his stool, he leaned over the counter and grabbed a cold beer.  _Siblings do have their perks_. Taking off the cap, he turned back to the doe. "What's up?" he asked while tilting his head back and taking a long swig from his drink.

"Hmm? Oh. It's nothing," Trisha tried to wave it off, trying to make it seem as if nothing was wrong but failing miserably. Delta only had to give her one look that blatantly screamed he didn't believe her for a sigh to escape the bunny's lips. "Sarah and I get off the same time tonight which rarely ever happens. So she was going to get take-out and I was gonna go rent a movie but I'm still stuck here for another three hours. And I...well...I miss her, that's all."

"Sounds pretty rough. Must be one special gal though. I can't imagine how a relationship with such odd working times could be successful, but you two certainly are doing it." Taking another sip, the canine leaned against the stool's back. "You know, I gotta pick a bone with you by the way." Ears that had been drooping suddenly sprang up, a little concerned but extremely curious as to what her friend meant. "How's a canine supposed to find someone if every good looking bunny is being taken by another good looking bunny?" he began chuckling before outright guffawing.

His barking laughter came to a sudden halt though with a coaster landing neatly between his ears. Atom, who had been silent while gorging himself on the bar snacks, suddenly started giggling hard at the sight of Delta's eyes going crossed to stare at the offending item on top of his head. "You stay away from my Sundae," Trisha scolded the painted dog. Unfortunately her choice of words worked up Atom into a frenzy at the idea there may be an ice cream sundae with his name on it nearby. "Whoops Atom. That's my fault, hon. I'll make you one. Taco!" she yelled out across the bar. "I need you to bring me the carton of vanilla!"

A thud was all that answered her though she could guess the small bunny had just taken another tumble. Rolling her eyes, she began to climb down to go get the ice cream herself when the back door swung outward and the tiny black and white doe came out carrying a carton nearly as big as she was. "I didn't know if you wanted the one our size or the one for medium sized, so I added them together and grabbed the large." Trisha smacked her paw over her face. "Where do you want me t-..." Glancing up in time to see Taco's gaze focused squarely on Atom who was returning the gaze at the ice cream, she barely registered the moment before she let out a shrill squeal and booked it for Atom. "YAY! NEW DOGGO!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post A/N: Delta and Atom come from my friend 'Bluelighthouse' (also the creator of Trisha and the 10-7 bar) and I'm thrilled he let me use them in this chapter. Thanks bud!
> 
> Taco is the Zoosona of a friend of ours who is even crazier than the mammal in the story. Hi Ju Ju!
> 
> Update: Had to pull the chapter for a needed rewrite. All good to go now!


	9. Chapter 9 - Hospital hijinks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Nearly 10,000 views on an all OC story?! Hot dog! And there's even more OC's this time around! Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I've got a dream, I've got a dream, I just want the rights to Zootopia that's my scheme! Though I like the glory, and the love for my story, like all the other shippers I've got a dream.

As much as Sarah Hopps loved her job, there were days when it tended to become overwhelming. Evenings were utterly ridiculous, often resulting in mammals waiting hours for something minor that they could have called walk-in care the next morning. These usually tended to roll over into the next morning where those with severe medical problems would be kept overnight for observation, once again limiting bed space and prolonging most of the waiting times for small problems.

Ten in the morning was usually the sweet spot. When most of the patients had left or been picked up and a much more casual and calm atmosphere would descend upon the emergency department. It was during these times that Sarah could enjoy actually getting to know her patients. Unlike most doctors who tended to keep a more detached relationship with those they treated, Sarah preferred to learn more about the mammal rather than just treat them and move on. She felt it strengthened a bond between patient and doctor, made them more open to admitting certain things that they might feel embarrassed about that could potentially lead to bigger health concerns. Although sometimes sharing went a little too far.

"-I mean do you think it's out of the realm of possibilities? Me and her? The city's been becoming far more progressive lately, in part thanks to those two police officers, the Wildes I think? I'd like to think we could make a relationship like that work but she's concerned what her family might think and I know my family will be going nuts, and not in the good 'gathering for winter' way and-"

"Mr. Templeton!" Her shout not only startled the patient, but also herself, however she really needed to mammal to stop talking before he became too in depth in his rambling. He was quick to recover however.

"Basil, please. I'm not very fond of my surname. Why my mother had to marry that detestable rat and give me his name I'll never know. Lazy excuse for a step-father, he was. Always chasing after his 'next big score' as if that would fix all their problems. Thank god she left him years ago. I can only begin to imagine the amount of pain he caused her after I moved out and went to college. My mother always was attracted to bigger rodents. I told her, find yourself another mouse, a nice guy. Be happy. Although I suppose being attracted to larger mammals runs in the fami-"

"Basil! I'm just here to look at your hind paw, not to give you relationship advice. Now, everything seems to be working properly and I don't detect a break, so you should be fine. Just make sure to rest it and use some ice packs and you'll be good to go in a few days. And then you and your lady friend can work this out, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks doctor. I'll be sure to do that. I suppose dancing is out of the question until then, yes? If everything went well I was going to take Sylvia out dancing but now i suppose that will have to wait. Maybe a nice, quiet dinner? Or would a movie be better? What would you do, Doctor H-"

"Ah ah ah! I'm not giving you advice! You need to work this out on your own. Have a good day, Basil." Halfway out the door she paused, her curiosity taking over. "You mentioned she was bigger than you are? Is Sylvia a squirrel or something along those lines?" While a slightly daunting size difference to a small rodent, Sarah did not see why there needed to be any hesitation. The two were close enough that it shouldn't be hard to make it work.

"Not at all. My glorious Sylvia is a vision of beauty, orange and black with a gorgeous white colored belly. Oh yes do I love that tigress."

"A tigre- nope! Nope, I'm not interested. I don't even want to know how that would work. Have a nice week, Mr. Templeton." Stepping out and quickly shutting the door, Sarah headed for the nurse's station quickly, hoping to avoid any conversations her mouse patient might bring up should he catch her in the hall. Rounding the corner, she slumped into the first chair she found and slapped a paw over her eyes.

"Rough day, hon?" One ear flicking towards the cheery voice nearby, Sarah let the other flop down along her back as she reclined backwards, propping her feet up on the low desk.

"You have no idea, Jo." Taking both paws and dragging them down her face, Sarah turned to look at her feline friend. "Mr. Templeton, the mouse that comes in a few times a month with sprains because he won't take it easy on his workout regimen? Yeah, he just asked me for advice on how to court a tigress." There was silence for a few seconds in which Sarah watched her friend's face morph through different emotions.

At first, Joanna could not even process what she had just heard. Her face remained stoically blank while trying to comprehend if her ears were deceiving her. That soon gave way to a widening of the eyes and her jaw falling slightly open in shock. Only a few moments later however, her laughter echoed down the halls as she fell to the floor and rolled around in mirth.

"Oh my god! That's just-I mean wow! I know size matters," the cougar said with a slight tilt of playfulness in her voice, "but usually it's at the other end of the scale! How would that even-...Oh god no. She's...into burrowing!" Her cries of laughter began anew leaving Sarah slightly stymied.

"What? What's so funny? I mean besides a three ounce mouse trying to get freaky with a four hundred pound tiger?" The doctor paused for a moment, considering if she was really curious enough to listen to her friend's ramblings as she had been down that proverbial rabbit hole before. "Alright, I gotta know. How is that supposed to work and I'm guessing it has something to do with you rolling around on the floor like a lunatic?"

"Yes! Ahahahaha!" Joanna still was unable to stop laughing and it seemed as if she was beginning to hyperventilate. Sarah knew this sometimes happened with the cougar. She just had that sort of personality. Unfortunately it could also cause her to pass out if it kept going too long so Sarah hopped down onto the floor and approached the struggling feline. Thankfully she didn't need to bend over too far to reach Jo's face due to their size differences because as past experiences had shown her being of balance after what she was about to do tended to leave her sprawled over her friend. Poking out one digit, she held it directly in front of the cat's nose, watching as the laughter died away and her eyes became transfixed on the hanging digit. Lightly pressing her claw into the soft flesh, Sarah couldn't help but smile.

"Boop."

As expected, Jo went completely rigid. It took her a few moments to relax but she did so with a shudder. "God you gotta stop doing that, Sarah. You know what that does to me. One of these days I'm gonna jump you after that and you're not going to like it. Or," she said with a mischievous grin, "maybe you would." Flashing her teeth at the smaller mammal, she wasn't surprised to see no sign of fear from the bunny.

"Yeah, I love you Jo but you're not my type. And I'm pretty sure you and I can both guess what will happen if Trisha sees claw marks on me that aren't hers." Giggling, Sarah pulled back letting the cougar get to her feet. "Alright, I'm gonna safely assume that 'burrowing' is exactly what I think it is and simply hope I am completely wrong and you are not going to tell me one way or the other. Just...just give me the next file and we'll forget this whole conver-...Jo? Why are you smiling like that? Jo. Don't you dare. Jo. Jo!"

Shuddering horrendously at the mental image her nurse just gave her, Sarah walked down the hall stopping momentarily at every sanitizer pump she saw. It wouldn't do anything to help but it made her feel better. If only I could put this stuff directly on my brain. Hopeful that the next case was interesting enough to take her mind off of it, Sarah knocked on the next door she came to.

Hearing an acknowledgment, the bunny opened the door to the small mammal examination room and sidled inside. "Good morning, Mrs. Des," she said, addressing the older rabbit in the room. Turning to face the much younger bunny seated on the exam table, Sarah offered her a warm smile. "And you must be Taconny." She had to admit that with her own relatively odd fur coloring she often admired other rabbits with distinctive patterns. This bunny was no different, large black spots covering her white fur.

"Umm, please call me Taco." Sarah noticed the way the doe's eyes flicked around the room like a frightened mammal looking for a way out. She wasn't quite sure what would cause such a response like that but she decided not too mention it for the moment.

"How many times, Taconny?" Both the doctor and the patient turned to see Mrs. Des scowling. "You have a beautiful name. Why do you insist on being labeled as a food?" She wasn't sure how or why her daughter had come to enjoy being called a taco, all she knew is that she tried to avoid her full name at all costs.

"I like tacos. It's in my name. It's obviously destiny and who am I to stand against fate and all of it's wise and glorious reasonings-"

"Okay, okay. We'll just... discuss this at home." Knowing exactly how long her daughter could go on rambling like that, Mrs. Des decided to stamp it out before she got on too much of a roll. Sarah meanwhile was trying to hide a snicker.

"Okay...Taco... So what brings you in today?" Upon being addressed, most of the spotted doe's bravado seemed to vanish. She shrunk back slightly seemingly attempting to escape notice. Sarah couldn't help but raise a brow. Though the chart clearly stated she was of age, eighteen years old and legally an adult, the fact that she had come with her mother meant that either she was dependent on the matron or she being in the ER wasn't her idea. Turning to the mother, Sarah decided to try her. "Mrs. Des? Why did you bring Taconny this morning?"

"Well, she appears to have something wrong with her arm. I'm not sure what the cause is, but sometimes when I come into the room, whatever she's holding will go flying through the air. I think it must be some sort of reflex action when she's startled but it's only that one arm."

"I see." While bunnies were still known to exhibit problems dealing with sudden shocks of adrenaline to their system, a remnant from their less evolved days, reflexive actions like the the patient's mother was describing was not something Sarah had encountered before. Could be an allergic reaction I suppose? What are her allergies... mold. Okay everyone is allergic to that. Grass? Seriously? Who's allergic to grass? Wait. Popcorn? How does someone even become allergic to popcorn? This is one weird kit. "What sort of things is she throwing?"

"Well, the only thing I've seen so far has been her phone but she says it's been a lot of other things too." This time there was a definite flash of dismay in the young doe's eyes. Sarah was quickly realizing that there was a lot more to this than the mother was privy too.

"Okay. I think I may have an idea of what this could be but to be sure I'd like to ask Taconny some questions. They are of a sensitive nature so Mrs. Des if you could wait outside? Thank you very much," the doctor added as the matronly rabbit stood and left after hugging her daughter close. Waiting until the door had shut fully behind the mother, Sarah then turned towards her patient. "Okay Taco," she used the desired name in order to make the younger bunny more comfortable, "I have an inkling as to what is going on but I want to hear it from you. Don't worry about your mother," she reassured her, seeing the panicked look in her eyes as they flashed towards the door. "Nothing leaves this room. You are my patient and I won't divulge anything to anyone."

Looking at the other rabbit in the room, taking in the distinctive colors and odd pattern to her fur, something much like her own, Taco weighed her options on trusting the doctor. If she was right in trusting the doctor, she might be able to find a way to get her mother off her back. If she was wrong, well, then she'd basically be whopped into next year. "I may, or may not," she quickly added, a look of slight embarrassment coming over her, "be looking at things...you know, on my phone?"

"And by 'things' you mean...pornography?" It was the safest bet to assume.

"Oh god no. I don't watch any of that stuff. No, I use my phone to chat with my friends. Keep up with my social media. Read...umm...fan fiction." Her words were just soft enough that Sarah was shocked she even managed to catch them. However now she had a very good idea on what was going on.

"Ah! Okay I think I understand now. Let me just lay it out there and you tell me if I'm going the wrong way. Sweet young girl, at least in momma's eyes, is absorbed into her phone reading the latest chapter of one of her favorite stories. Suddenly a steamy scene between the main characters pops up, making the young girl start to become rather...interested, shall we say, in the story. Things get hotter and heavier when suddenly in walks disapproving mom and instead of closing down the webpage, she simply throws the phone across the room. That sound about right?"

Cheeks began to redden deeply along with them traveling up the sides of her ears. "Umm...yeah pretty much." She was a bit unnerved at how the doctor put the pieces together so quickly but it also seemed to be a relief that finally there was someone else to talk to about it. "You...you won't tell my mother, right? She's not very approving of this sort of thing."

"Don't worry," Sarah reassured her. "Your mother doesn't need to know about any of this. You're my patient, not her. I have an idea though. Just play along. Oh and you'll need these." Reaching into a nearby drawer, she tossed the spotted doe a medicine bottle with an abundance of small pills inside. "Placebo. You'll understand shortly. Ready?" Taconny nodded quickly, hoping whatever the doctor had come up with would get her mother to stop prying into her activities. "Mrs. Des?" Sarah called out the now open door. "You can come in now." Stepping back to let the mother in, Sarah sent Taconny a wink behind her back. "Now Mrs. Des, I have some news about your daughter's condition."

"Oh! Of course! Please tell me it's nothing serious."

"Well, it's not serious in the more common sense. More of an annoyance I would say. What do you know of the evolutionary process of our kind?" The mother could only shrug leading Sarah to grin internally. Perfect. "As you know we evolved from a more primitive state thousands of years ago. Back then we were very skittish and timid which unfortunately we have not completely gotten rid of. Taconny here has a bit of a throwback to those days. When she gets startled her body sometimes can cause her to flail out to potentially flee from a supposed attack. Now obviously her higher brain tells her that's not the case, it's just her instincts are so highly charged that she can't always control every part of her body."

Seeing Mrs. Des tap her chin, contemplating what Sarah had just told her, she pressed on. "Now this is still a rare thing. Only affects a few bunnies out of a thousand and doesn't cause any problems. She'll probably grow out of it in a few years. Until then I've given her a prescription that she will need to take after every episode." Taconny rattled the bottle drawing her mother's eyes to it. "It's not ideal but really we're still only beginning to scratch the surface of what we as mammals went through on our evolutionary path. Thankfully it's only a minor inconvenience."

"Oh thank you doctor. I'm so relieved to hear it's nothing that could cause my little girl harm." Turning to her daughter, she gave her a broad smile. "I'm going to go handle the paperwork, okay Taconny?" The bunny nodded letting her mother leave. Once the coast was clear, she turned to Sarah and gave her a strong hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I didn't know how to explain it without it sounding like a ridiculous lie."

"No problem, Taco. Hey, when you go into work tonight, tell Trisha I'm making manicotti for dinner so she better not hang around after hours again." Taconny looked startled.

"How do you know where I work? Or even who I work with?" She was pretty certain things like that weren't added into her medical files.

"Trisha is my mate. She told me all about her new employee. A crazy spotted doe that likes to be called Taco. I forgot my phone at home so I figured using you as a messenger bunny in exchange for running interference made an odd sort of sense. She's impressed with your speed by the way. Though she says you need to learn how to stop before she has to send you back to me." She winked making the younger doe giggle, the insides of her ears turning a light pink.

Hopping down from the table, Taconny made to head out into the hall to find her mother and leave the hospital. She made it barely past the threshold however before she was knocked down, a small cart full of medical supplies tipping over next to her. "Oh no! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

Rubbing a sore spot on her elbow where she had fallen, Taconny turned towards her 'attacker.' "I'm okay. Just a slight bu-..." She trailed off when her eyes found another pair meeting hers. A dark, rich amber color mesmerized her until she managed to draw her eyes away. Panning over a pair of very large ears and a pointed muzzle, Taconny couldn't help but giggle nervously at the paw being offered to her.

Accepting it and being pulled to her feet, she noticed the mammal before her was a bit smaller than her, the top of his head barely at her chin. She rocked on her heels slightly, her cheeks becoming quite flushed at the gaze he was giving her. "Um...thank you."

"Yeah. Uh, don't mention it. I'm just sorry I knocked you over." The fennec fox before her was a very light color, almost a whitish tan. With the way he averted his eyes slightly away from hers and the light scuffing of his paws on the floor, Taconny could tell he was very shy. He wasn't the only one however as her tongue suddenly became tied.

"I-I-..." Clearing her throat, she tried again. "I'm Taconny. Taconny Des." Extending her paw, she waited for him to take it.

"What happened to 'Taco'?" Sarah asked slyly.

"Hush you!" Never breaking her gaze from the diminutive fox, she tried to see if he would reach out.

"Xavier. Xavier Sanderson." His voice was soft but with a slight gravelly touch to it. Reaching up, he took her paw in his own. She was astonished to find his paw pads were extremely smooth, something she would not expect from a canine. Taconny couldn't help but let out a girlish giggle.

Chuckling to herself, Sarah made her way down the hall. Never thought I'd be playing matchmaker in the ER department. Although if she was being honest with herself all she did was mainly sit back and watch the two. Although she did give the young fox a couple of encouraging looks when it looked as if he was going to falter. The two had hit it off instantly, something that reminded her a lot of her relationship with her lovely bunny. She had kept an eye on the two of them until they had reached the check out lobby. Xavier had suddenly become very bold when saying goodbye he leant down and gave a soft kiss to the spotted doe's paw. Taconny had became extremely flustered, letting out a tiny squeal which attracted her mother's attention. Sarah had been dismayed to see the disapproving look Mrs. Des had given the pair of them but had a feeling her complaints would fall on two pairs of very large and deaf ears.

Checking the next chart, she was a bit shocked to see the notes that marked the patient as a member of the ZPD force. They rarely got any officers in the ER unless it was something extremely serious. However since there were no lights flashing or mammals running around wildly, Sarah couldn't help but find herself a bit curious.

Passing by the nurse's station, she fixed a glare on Joanna who she still hadn't forgiven for scarring her brain that morning. Jo simply smiled back, giving the bunny a wink and a suggestive gesture that would probably get her reprimanded by any other doctor on staff, however the two of them often messed with each other in that manner. Flipping her off, causing the cougar to let out a yowl and laughing hard, Sarah continued on her way and turned the corner before stopping in front of her next patient's door.

Reaching up, Sarah had to jump slightly to reach the door handle. This room was geared towards some of the smaller medium mammals such as coyotes and wolves and while she was qualified to work on them, the hospital hadn't seen fit to install different height door knobs. Thankfully for her she had become accustomed to it and it served as only a very minor inconvenience, something she could let slide for her patients well-being.

"Hello Atom," the doe said to her patient as she turned from his chart to view the canine currently sitting on the bed. He was relatively large, a bit smaller than a wolf but bigger than those she normally worked with. His fur was interesting, especially to the multi-colored bunny. She had seen few painted dogs before but she always found the splotches and swirls of their fur quite intriguing. "What seems to be the trouble today?"

Looking at her with a goofy grin, the mammal began gesturing wildly confusing her greatly. Atom seemed to understand though and went back to sitting silently, his head tilted as he tried to think of a way to communicate with her. Luckily he didn't need to wait long as his nose picked up a familiar scent. His tail began wagging happily and his tongue flopped out of his mouth while he began to pant with a smile. Sarah's ears also perked up, having caught the sound of another mammal approaching the door and watched as it slowly opened.

"There you are, buddy." A second painted dog entered, roughly the same size though he was decked out in full uniform whereas Atom was currently in jeans and a t-shirt which had a stenciled badge on the front. "We're home two days and you already hurt yourself, you goofball." Seeing Atom pointing excitedly towards the spot next to the door, the other dog turned to see the bunny he had overlooked when he came in. "Oh. Hi. I'm Delta. Tell me doc, is he gonna live?" Atom huffed and snorted at the other canine who quickly began chuckling. "Relax buddy. I'm sure you'll outlive us all with your stellar diet. I mean that vanilla ice cream is probably crazy healthy for ya."

Atom quickly began gesturing, his expression clearing up back into an overly happy look. Sarah couldn't understand what was happening but Delta certainly did. "Your foot. Again? Dude, you did this like three months ago." Turning with a grin towards the rabbit, he stopped at her confused look. "Oh right. You probably didn't treat him last time. Atom here doesn't talk much. Or at all. He has his own unique way of talking but unfortunately I'm pretty much his only translator."

"Well it's good that you're here then. Atom, can you tell me exactly where it hurts?" Sarah moved over next to the table and climbed up the fixed platform so she could be at waist level with it. Atom began making a series of gestures while she ran her paw around his ankle and up the lower part of his calf. He suddenly yelped and cut off his waving when she put a slight amount of pressure on his ankle.

"I'd um...I'd translate but I'd say you already have a good idea where it is." Nodding to the newest canine, she apologized and began examining it much more delicately. Delta watched nearby, occasionally providing more in-depth descriptions making sure the doctor got a full picture of what Atom was feeling.

Atom watched while the bunny treated his leg with tender care, making sure to direct questions to him and not Delta. It was a foreign experience for him. Outside of those who knew him, they tended to think he was slow and not simply mute and would speak to Delta instead. He grew rather fond of the doe in an extremely short time which was definitely saying something as Atom loved almost everyone at the start but only grew exceptionally fond of a very few. Her respect made his heart swell in appreciation, not to mention her bedside manner. Turning to Delta, he quickly signed something with a great amount of passion.

His eyes catching the motion which drew his attention away from the doe, Delta watched as his partner expressed some very sincere words. "Alright buddy, I'll tell her. And you're definitely right."

Hearing the words break the silence from a few moments ago, Sarah looked up at the painted dog standing beside the bed. "I'm sorry? Were you talking to me?"

"Atom wanted to thank you for how you've treated him so nicely. He doesn't get treated as a normal mammal too often outside of his friends so for you to do that, it means a lot to him. Also," he began, a light smile forming on his muzzle, "he wanted to say it's wonderful to be treated by one of his own kind in the hospital."

While she enjoyed the sentiment, that last part caused Sarah to become slightly confused. "I'm sorry? What does he mean by one of your kind?" Atom was the one who got her attention this time as he waved his paw up and down his body, pointing to individual splotches before sitting up with some minor difficulty trying to not move his foot in order to point his paw towards her cheek and ears where her own painted fur showed. Sarah couldn't help but blush slightly. "I see. I take it some mammals aren't too kind about your fur, huh Atom?" A sad shake of his head made her heart break. "Well we don't have to worry about them, do we? Tell you what, anytime you gotta come back, just ask for me and I'll make sure to be the doctor to come see ya." Atom's lips broke out in a huge grin and his tail wagged around wildly. Sarah chuckled before getting back to her task of wrapping the poor canine's ankle.

Delta watched with a small amount of fascination. He knew Atom was a lot of fun to be around and he loved just about everyone, but to see him become so attached to someone so quickly was a rare thing. He had only seen it with Delta's sister, Echo, Trisha, Em, Nick, Judy, and now this mysterious doctor who, he realized suddenly, he never had even asked her name.

"On the matter of being 'like us', I was wondering...would you like to maybe grab a bite sometime?" Atom looked over in shock. It wasn't a new thing for Delta to ask out a mammal. This one wouldn't even be his first bunny. But how he couldn't smell the scent on the doe was astonishing. He could practically roll around in the scent coming off the bunny that she was spoken for, and not just that but by someone they knew. Atom began to sign but Sarah beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, I'm taken actually." The painted dog did a good job of hiding his disappointment, but he accepted the fact that another doe he was interested in was off the market.

"No worries." He turned back to his partner, a little stymied at the look of complete bewilderment on his face. "You know, a very good friend of mine is dating a painted doe. I didn't realize there were so many of you."

Taken aback yet slightly amused, Sarah finished tying the wrap and aimed her next comment at the dog standing nearby. "There aren't. It's an extremely rare mutation. I've only met one other and none in Zootopia."

Delta tilted his head in confusion. How could there be no other painted bunnies in Zootopia if he knew his friend was dating one? Atom snorted catching the other dog's attention. Tapping his nose, he pointed at Sarah who thankfully wasn't looking at either of them. Being as subtle as possible, Delta took in a deep sniff, absorbing the scents around the multi-colored bunny. One scent in particular stayed with him. A scent that brought brown fur and amazing blue eyes to mind. "Oh you have to be kidding me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post A/N: Alright you know the drill.
> 
> Thanks to AWildeHoppingTaco for use of her Zoosona Taconny Des. Taco is just so cute! (And I'm married to a bunny so I can say that)
> 
> And huge thanks to Bluelighthouse for not only the continued use of Trisha Rose but also his other two OC's Delta and Atom! Atom is so ridiculously adorable I can't even.
> 
> Xavier Sanderson belongs to me because I felt Taco really needed a boyfriend. Long story.


	10. Chapter 10 - Give me something good to eat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut, and no other girls can say anything about it. The hardcore girls just wear lingerie and some form of animal ears. And when they already have animal ears? That's when things get fun.
> 
> Disclaimer: Disney. This would be a killer Halloween short movie. Call me. We'll do lunch. You're buying.

One of the only holidays Sarah had ever enjoyed as a young girl and even into her late teens was Halloween. Not only was she able to load up on free candy much the way all of her siblings did, but it was the one day of the year when she could walk around town without fear of being mocked and ridiculed for her fur. With a generous amount of Scent Away and a heavily detailed costume, Sarah felt free to enjoy the festivities along with all of her kin without any of them knowing. In a family of nearly three hundred rabbits it was easy to blend into the crowd without being recognized. She always made sure however to choose a costume where talking was out of character and would simply pretend to be extremely invested which wasn't all that strange.

Since she had struck out on her own, starting in medical school, she had been able to freely celebrate all holidays, at least while away from home. When she  _did_  travel back to Bunnyburrow, she had returned to celebrating Christmas with Judy and Jessica as she had for so many years, though with less sadness and bitterness than before. Now though, the entire world of Zootopia was open to her, spending time dragging Trisha to sing Christmas carols or watching fireworks of founder's day from the roof of the hospital, which was a guilty pleasure of hers and a blatant misuse of of building codes which she and her mate ignored gleefully.

In the end though, even so many years past her kithood, Halloween remained her favorite. Not because she still needed to hide, but now the freedom of being able to dress as she wanted. No longer was she covered in fur dye or full body suits. Now she could be Wonder Bunny or Rabunzel, which she was last year to Trisha's great enjoyment of tugging her fake ears and long golden tresses. Movie heroes were no longer off the list and literary characters were open game. She could dress not to hide, but to pretend. And it gave her such a feeling of enjoyment to be free of the ever present fear of being discovered.

This year she went a different route. Admiring herself in the mirror, she turned back and forth checking out how closely the outfit hugged her curves and wide hips and couldn't suppress a smile forming on her lips.  _Trisha is going to go nuts_. Grabbing a few accessories she had picked up and a few more that she had requested from her sister Judy, Sarah added the finishing touches and winked at her reflection. Snapping open a pair of mirror shades, she settled them on her nose and cocked her hip out.  _"_ I gotta admit. I make this look good."

"Oh  _Sarah_." Hearing the faint call from beyond the bedroom door made the painted doe smile. Trisha had insisted they dress separately so they could surprise the other. Sarah had picked their bedroom and had promised not to leave until called. Thankfully she had finished, though only just, getting ready before Trisha had. One last look in the mirror, she mimed shooting two guns with her digits, much the way she had seen Nick do on occasion. Reaching out and gripping the doorknob, she twisted it and stepped out into the living room. What she saw made her jaw drop.

Trisha had always been beautiful and sexy to Sarah. Her eyes were captivating and her body was made for sin. She could invoke rather  _impure_  thoughts in Sarah no matter what she dressed up as. Last year's 'Mummy' costume had been utterly destroyed when Sarah had jumped her and ripped the fabric wraps to shreds. However today she apparently had decided to up the ante on her usual costume ideas. She recognized what had probably been a pre-made costume idea of a nurse's outfit at one time, something that was always joked about by Sarah and her staff on not only the inaccuracy but also in how it portrayed nurses. This time however, Sarah could find no fault in the costume, though that was most likely due to her brain having short fried. Trisha had made a few alterations to the uniform that had her eyes practically bugging out of her head and making her swallow heavily.

A long slit up the side showed so much of brown upper thigh that it had Sarah salivating, especially when Trisha lifted it a slight amount, giving her a flash of a pair of blue lace panties. The bodice's v-neck had been deepened to the point where the edges of the matching blue lace bra could just be seen at the edges. Long white stockings trailed up just past her knee, showing several inches of bare thigh between them and the bottom of the outfit. A light amount of purple eyeshadow and black eyeliner turned her lovely bright blues into a look of seduction she knew was going to get her hot and bothered all night. There was a shimmer to her lips that told Sarah she would soon be tasting strawberries from their kiss, a favorite fruit of both of them. What finished it off was a nurse's hat. One from old books and movies with the red cross on it that signaled someone in the medical field. It took every ounce of self control she had not to launch herself across the room.

Trisha meanwhile was feeling the heat as well. With how Sarah had dressed as Rabunzel the year before, she had expected another costume much like that. Maybe Meowana or something along those lines. Instead, her doe had stepped out of the bedroom looking like sex on a stick. Dressed in a neoprene uniform, one Trisha recognized immediately as a spare uniform of Judy's, she watched the bunny strut forward into full view. Even behind the aviators, she could sense her doe's pink piercing eyes locking onto her body and traveling over all of her hungrily. It gave Trisha a thrill along her body while she took her own time letting her eyes roam over the spotted doe's outfit.

Though not as lean as Judy, Sarah was still in incredible shape and her wider hips and tight bottom was making it very difficult for Trisha to think anything beyond how much she wanted to tear that uniform off of her mate.  _Although we'd keep the belt. God that would be so hot._ She unknowingly began to close the gap between them, her feet shuffling slowly to bring them closer together. Sarah in return was doing the same. "Wow. Sarah."

Sarah couldn't help but grin. The closeness of the two had become such that Sarah was able to reach up and run her paw down the sleeveless arm of her bunny love. "I heard you like Hopps girls in blue." She knew of the attraction Trisha had for her sister and while not jealous, she couldn't help but poke at it a bit.

"Well, I'm leaning towards those in white these day," she ran her paw over her uniform, smoothing down the creases in order to catch Sarah's and eye have it trail to the slit up the side showing off plenty of her firm and toned leg. "But I ain't gonna lie and say you don't look hot as hell right now."

"I could say the same. I wonder if Blue would let me add such a  _naughty_  nurse to my staff," she teased, putting in a deliberate wink. "You wouldn't even need to go to medical school. Just stand there and look beautiful."

Tisha looked over at her slyly. "Am I just a sex object to you? Something to ogle and fantasize about?" She watched as Sarah shook her head as if trying to wake herself up.

"I'm sorry, what? I was too busy ogling and fantasizing about the things I was going to do to you." Sarah suddenly squeaked when the brown doe rushed at her playfully. The next several minutes had the two does circling the apartment, leaping over couches as the brown blur tried to catch the white.

A small hesitation, a mistake of looking behind her and catching the side of the ottoman which made her stumble, spelled doom for the painted bunny. Feeling two paws wrap around her waist and lift her a few inches off the floor, Sarah squealed in a mix of play and pleasure, knowing where their game was going to lead as it always did. With a spin of her prey and a soft thump onto the couch, Trisha straddled her prize. "Do to me, huh?" Leaning over slowly, she brought her lips to the other doe's ear. "Why officer, you wouldn't be thinking of abusing your power." Licking her lips, Trisha gazed into the bright pink eyes of her lover. "Would you?"

* * *

With a blissful smile still on her lips, Sarah pulled into a familiar parking lot, already packed with several personal vehicles but nearly three times as many cruisers and ambulances. There were a few benefits to being their size when it came to parking in that area. Smaller mammals weren't routinely part of the first responder work forces, nor were there an overly large amount of employees in that category either. Even if Trisha did not have a reserved spot for her, there would have been several free ones for a rabbit sized car.

"Seems like it's gonna be a packed house, tonight. Good thing I'm not working. I want to drink some drinks, not make em for everyone else." Bending low, Trisha got out of the car, her outfit riding up giving Sarah a tantalizing peak at the lace panties beneath it making her shiver in response to the view.

" _I_  might be working, though. God only knows how many heart attacks you're going to cause once we walk in there." Sarah mainly hoped a certain red fox kept his eyes away from the brown doe or else a certain gray bunny might end up causing a riot.

"Well, if  _Doctor_  Hopps has to make an appearance, it's a good thing she has her, what did you call me? A 'naughty' nurse?" Winking seductively, Trisha flicked her tail towards the spotted bunny before fully getting out of the car, making Sarah scramble for the door handle. She wasn't about to let that girl out of her sight. Not for fear of losing her or having anyone try to steal her away. Simply because she couldn't stand not having that vision of perfection near her all night.

Skipping ahead, she looped her arm with Trisha's and the two of them bounded forward up the sidewalk headed for what looked to be the most massive 'Jack Savage' costume they had ever seen. "Hey Petey!" Sarah cried out to the bouncer. It was almost comical to see him sitting back on his signature stool while wearing a tuxedo that seemed at least a size or two too small. "Tux shrink in the wash?"

The rhino turned to look down the sidewalk and gave a start of surprise. Seeing two bunnies walking towards the 10-7, Petey had a hard time  _not_  blatantly staring. Probably for the first time in his life he wished he was a different mammal for a night, though even if he was a buck he figured he had an absolute zero percent chance of landing either of the hot does coming his way.

"They sent a tiger size by mistake. Didn't get to my mailbox until this morning so it was too late to get another one. Still, I think it shows off my physique rather well." Sitting up, Petey did something extremely rare for him, and flexed. Both Sarah and Trisha had to admit the sight was pretty impressive. The rhino took his job very seriously, being more than someone just checking badges. He wanted to make sure no one who meant any harm to the patrons of the 10-7 made it anywhere near the front door. However he still did like to have fun with those same patrons. "I'm pretty sure I already let in an Officer Hopps. Badge."

"Oh I wouldn't let her here you call her that, Petey." Sarah warned. "She's rather possessive of that 'Wilde' name." Nevertheless she pulled out a shield and flipped it towards the bouncer. Sarah had become a familiar face around the bar in the last year, often coming in to visit or meet Trisha at lunch or after a shift. She had come to know most every first responder out there on a more personal note which is something not many could say. Where most departments stayed separate save for certain events like softball games or nights at the 10-7, Sarah was exposed to all three sections at the hospital, either treating them or working with them.

Catching the offered badge in his hoof, Petey glanced down at it before letting out a chuckle which Sarah echoed with her own giggle. Trisha looked a bit confused. Sarah hadn't worn a badge on her uniform so she was in the dark about what might be amusing to the two mammals. Catching the look of bewilderment on the brown doe's face, Petey handed it off to her. Looking down at the gleaming shield, Trisha finally saw what had been worth laughing at. Near the bottom of the badge, etched into the brass was a name. 'HOPPS'.

"This is Judy's old badge." Raising her eyes to meet Sarah's, she cocked her head inquisitively. "Why aren't you wearing it? That would totally complete that already sexy costume," Trisha teased, leaning over to nuzzle her mate. Sarah couldn't help but let out another giggle.

"Judy let me borrow her old one for 'admission' purposes to pull one over on ol' Petey here. But I can't actually wear it. It could cause someone to  _actually_  mistake me for a police officer and that could be bad." She put it back inside one of the belt pouches before heading towards the door. "Chief Bogo gave her permission to let me carry it but only in the 10-7."

"Chief Buffalo Butt, as Nick says, gave you permission? Wow. How did you manage to do that?" Sliding through the opening Sarah had made by hauling on the handle, she held it open for her to slip through behind her. "That must have taken some doing."

"What? Oh no, not at all. Judy said as soon as my name came up he approved it without a second thought. I think he likes me." Trisha let out an exaggerated gasp.

"He  _likes_  you? Oh my! The scandal! Should I be worried I'm going to lose my Sundae to that beefy bull? With the ripped muscles and sensually deep voice? And those powerful biceps. And just imagine what he might be hiding in the tight pants of his." The painted doe glanced over at her with a raised brow to see Trisha licking her lips playfully.

"Maybe I should be the one worried. You sound like you've got the hots for the big buffalo in blue." Sarah could just imagine Judy's face if she ever got wind that Trisha was making jokes like that about her boss and Nick would use that against the Chief for days, even weeks on end that a bunny was chasing after him.

"Well I won't deny that he's got a few attributes I find rather... _enticing_ , but I'm afraid he's a bit too old for me. That and he's married and you know I don't go near bucks, or does," she added, "that are in a relationship. Plus," she lowered her voice, "I'm pretty sure he would rip me literally in half." The two does were so overcome with giggles that they didn't notice someone else had come up behind them near the bar.

"Well it's a good thing my wife doesn't have to worry about a young  _bunny_  trying to steal me away." The lapines laughter died immediately at the booming sound coming from above them. Almost at the same time did their heads tilt back into the frowning face of the imposing cape buffalo who they had just been discussing. Sarah had met him on several occasions in an official capacity when treating his injured officers and had known him to be a rather caring soul who hid it behind a lot of gruff. Trisha meanwhile had seen him lose it one or two times when Nick had been helping around the 10-7 and would purposefully antagonize the chief with fruity cocktails instead of his usual beer. Neither was sure what his current face was though.

"Well Chief Bogo. Lovely to see you here. I notice you're not really into the Halloween spirit," Sarah said, nodding towards the mammal's police uniform still looking as crisp as that morning when he had put it on.

"Oh sure I am. I'm dressed as a competent police officer in hopes it inspires Wilde over there to straighten up and act appropriately!" The last few words the Chief had raised his voice and angled it towards a couple that were seated a few tables away. A pair of long black-tipped ears suddenly sprang up from underneath a pink shawl over her head.

"I'm  _right_  here, Chief! And I take offense to that." Having whipped around, Sarah and Trisha finally got a good look at Judy's costume for the night. Wearing a pink dress of several shades which was unusual in and of itself for the bunny cop to have on, it was nothing compared to the other part of the costume. Beneath the fabric, Judy was wearing a specially tailored costume fit to her size that turned her into a fox. The face was open so she still looked like her and there were holes at the top for her ears to raise or lower if needed, however the hood came complete with large fox ears. The russet and orange color along the rest of the body ended with a white tipped long fox tail sticking out from beneath the dress.

"Not you, Wilde. The other Wilde. Your lesser half." It had taken Bogo a very long time to finally stop calling Judy by her former last name, but when he finally had, he discovered he had just stepped in something much more problematic than a bunny annoyed with being called the wrong name.

"Oh. Sorry Chief." Turning to her husband, she smacked him on the forearm drawing the fox's attention away from a particularly interesting story from Wolford. "It's for you, dear." Now it was Nick's turn to get ogled by the two bunnies, though as discretely as possible so as not to alarm Judy and set off her protective instincts. Dressed in a green tunic with matching hat and long red feather coming out of it, Nick was effortlessly twirling what they assumed was a fake arrow since he would not be crazy enough to use the longbow strapped across his back to fire lethal ones.

"Hey Chief. Need another 'Bogo Special'?" Both Judy and Trisha had a hard time not tittering at the reminder of Nick's impromptu creation which he had named in honor of his boss who still had yet to ever drink the cotton candy cocktail.

"I swear Wilde if you put another one of those in front of me tonight I will assign you to cleaning the bathrooms for the next week." This effectively made Nick's smug grin vanish, much to Bogo's pleasure. "What are you two supposed to be anyway?"

Nick let out a overly dramatic gasp while flinging his paw to his chest. "Are you telling me you do not know the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian? The famous fox couple who lead the charge on overthrowing the corrupt prince and false king of England? Oh woe is me! No one remembers the magnificence of fox culture anymore!" Clapping the back of his paw now to his forehead, he pretended to faint back in his chair.

"God you're such a goof, Nick." Trisha turned to Judy, now looking at her costume more carefully. "How did he trick you into dressing up as Maid Marion? I thought you were going as Wonder Bunny this year?"

"I wanted to, even had the full costume. Mom even helped me make a real shield, not the plastic stuff they have in the store. She's watching the kits tonight. Said something about needing a break and four kits in a quiet house was better than taking a hundred trick or treating. Nick had his heart set on this one though so I agreed. Although not without getting something in return," Judy said with a mischievous smile. "Old foxy over there has nighttime kit duty for the next two weeks solid."

"Dumb bunny hustled me again," Nick muttered, though not without a playful glint in his eye. Truthfully he loved spending time with his small kits, even at night which required a double dose of caffeine the next morning. "Besides, it's worth it to see you in that fox costume."

Judy's eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you saying you don't like me in all my bunny glory? Something about red fur that makes it better than my gray? You tired of my short, poofy tail and looking for a vixen?" Bogo slowly started backing away, eyes wide with concern. Trisha and Sarah were sorely tempted to follow his lead, knowing Judy could get a bit temperamental if threatened with Nick straying, though it was never something that would happen.

To his credit Nick didn't even bat an eye. "Of course not, Carrots. I just like that you embraced fox culture so willingly. It does my heart good to know we love each other enough to explore each others lives and history." All three bunnies made a small cooing noise at the heartfelt sentiment, Judy most of all who suddenly felt so much love for her fox. That is until he had to ruin it. "Plus you somehow made yourself even cuter which I didn't think was possible." Judy wasn't able to hide her blush but she still managed to reach out and slap his arm again, not totally displeased.

"Hey Judy, looking a bit low. Need a refill?" The newest mammal to enter the fray was an otter, just slightly smaller than the does. Dressed in a short, plaid skirt with a tied off white blouse, she looked rather attractive. A black wig with several streaks of white and blue dye topped the outfit as well as two spiked bracelets on each arm. A stuffed sparrow was affixed to her shoulder and a bright red apple with a single bite out of it hung from her belt.

"Lookin' good, Em," Nick called out, looking the female up and down. The sensitive ears of Sarah and Trisha picked up the low throaty growl coming from Judy but she still smiled sincerely at the otter. "Let me guess...school girl?" Narrowing her eyes, Em sent him a harsh glare.

"Don't be dumb, Slick. She's obviously Grunge Snow White." Trisha earned a beaming smile from the young bartender who had obviously been waiting for someone to get the reference.

"Thank you, Trisha! See?" she said proudly, turning to the tod. " _She_  gets me. Judy, your drinks are on the house tonight for having to deal with Slick over here. Nick? If you want drinks you'll have to earn em. One song of karaoke for each glass." Looking aghast while Judy rolled with laughter, Nick muttered something under his breath about 'staying sober tonight.'

"Let's leave the two lovebirds to themselves for a bit," Trisha whispered into Sarah's ear. "I think I saw some chocolate covered carrots over-...Uh oh." Concerned by the mix of amusement and small amount of fear in Trisha's voice, Sarah whipped around following her gaze. For a moment, she was extremely confused as she saw only a fennec dressed in a fancy shirt and a pair of old style trousers much like Nick was wearing beneath his tunic. Then she saw it. A purple blur followed by a trail of gold flying behind whatever had been moving so quickly.

"What on earth?" Sarah couldn't make sense of what she was seeing until she caught sight of the fennec's nervous face. "Xavier?" While he hadn't been at the hospital long, the interning nurse had made quite a name for himself in being very efficient and timely. He had only had one instance where he had made an error and that had not been his fault as he had been practically run over- "Oh no.  _Taconny?_ "

The blur racing back and forth near the back wall came to a stand so suddenly that Sarah and Trisha could almost hear the imaginary tire squeals from the brakes. A black and white spotted doe stood there in a lovely purple dress with a very long braid of golden hair flowing behind her. It was a beautiful costume though Sarah was a little concerned with how the doe was vibrating. "I'mnotTaconnyI'mRabunzelandItoldyounottocallmeTacconnyDoctorHoppscallmeTacocauseIliketacosandtobecalledTaco." Before Sarah could work out what she was saying at the incredible speed her words were flying out at, Taconny turned towards Trisha. "OhmygodTrishaIcanseemusicandtastecolorsthisiscrazyhowdowenotlivelikethisallthetimeheydidyoubringmecandyIreallycouldgoforsomemorecandyCANDYCANDYCANDY!" Without saying another word or even glancing at them, she tore off across the floor again.

Xavier looked over at them apologetically but also fearful. "She's been like this for a while now. She went through three bowls of candy bars and chocolate and then downed a super espresso." Turning back to see the spotted bunny bounding off the walls, the fennec winced slightly seeing her feet shake the table when she landed hard before continuing on. "She's gonna live, right?"

* * *

After a rather enjoyable party at the bar, the two bunnies headed for the hospital. It was still relatively early for the nightlife rabbits so they had decided to go visit the annual 'Haunted Hospital' the off-duty staff liked to put on for their favorite nurses and doctors. It was low-key, mainly streamers and a few inflatable creatures and hanging skeletons, though a few of the more 'dedicated' Halloween enthusiasts went all out on costumes and would stage jump-scares. Sarah knew of a few nurses planning to do a few of them and she wanted to see how Trisha would react, hoping she would get to 'comfort' the doe if she got spooked.

Each year they found new places to hold the event. Some recent years had included the employee cafeteria. Others the grounds outside between wings. This year however they were in luck. The third floor had recently been targeted for necessary upgrades. It was not a critical ward for now but the idea was to create a larger area for the ICU to have multiple treatment areas for different injuries. As such, there were large openings where the rooms used to be, covered in nothing but plastic sheeting which also hung in front of many openings. Ideal places for unsuspecting employees to be jumped by ghouls and goblins.

Before they got there though, the two bunnies stopped in at the greeting station where they found the emergency room administrator tending several large baskets of candy and chocolate. While it was a wonderful holiday for children to experience, getting dressed up as their favorite characters and going trick or treating with friends, the sad fact was that more accidents happened involving children on Halloween night than any other of the year. Administrator Blue had started the tradition of providing treats to children and their siblings who ended up in the hospital ward about ten years ago when two small children were hit by a delivery vehicle and most of their friends came and stayed through the night, robbing the smaller children of their time out in their neighborhoods. The children had made it through with only minor injuries, but the parents were able to stay and wait while their other children were distracted. Since then, Blue had kept it up, making it more extravagant every year.

This year Blue had dressed up as a pirate, complete with peg leg and a stuffed parrot on his shoulder. His sword was made of wood and could not actually be removed from the sheath, but it still added quite a bit of flair to his character. "Officer!" Sarah and Trisha both turned towards the wolf. "Thank you for bringing back our nurse. We were afraid she would escape before we could perform our rabbit sacrifi- I mean we were worried she would get lost out there in the dark. Cause it's nighttime." His shifty eyes had both bunnies laughing.

"Sorry Bluebeard, but this doe is my prisoner and I don't intend to let her out of my sights." Sarah wrapped her arm around the brown doe's waist protectively, making the canine chuckle. "I'm sure Squinny could fit the bill. Half a rabbit is good enough, right?"

"Hey!" The three turned towards the nurses station a ways down the hall to see the squirrel rabbit hybrid standing on the desk growling lightly. "I'm nobody's sacrifice. I got a party to go to in fifteen minutes so you better not try nothin' or I'll come back and haunt you all." The idea of the gentle girl behind the desk haunting anyone made them all laugh, though keeping it quiet enough not to rile her up any further.

"So how come you went with a pirate outfit? Sarah tells me you had a reputation of going all out with costumes but she forgot to mention why you stopped. Pirate seems a bit bland, doesn't it?" Hearing the praise from one of his favorite doctors on staff made him preen a bit but the reality made him sober up.

"Well, she's right. I used to make some of the best costumes you'd ever seen. I'd spend months on my own unique creations and really get into the spirit. But my quality ended up being my downfall. Three years ago I was finishing up a long night of trick or treaters as well as dealing with a few major accidents that had taken place in nearby neighborhoods. I was wearing a killer zombie costume with convincing slashes and blood marks. Even had some prosthetic patches on my neck to make it seem as if I had been bitten. Unfortunately it was so well done I confused and scared a few employees. I was super tired by the end of the shift that I laid down in one of the cots in the hall." He shook his head, remembering the embarrassing situation he had ended up in. "I didn't wake up there."

"Where did you wake up then?" Trisha inquired. She found the story interesting but not very scary or amusing at that point and wondered where it was going.

"In the morgue."

"I s-...Wait. Did you say the morgue?" This time her attention was solely focused on Blue, her interest now thoroughly caught. Sarah, having heard the story the last year, sat back and watched while her bunny absorbed the tale, noting her captivated eyes.

"Seems some intern, who was just as tired as I had been, found a body lying on a gurney in the middle of the hall and decided that the dead belong in the morgue, especially one that was covered in blood with a gaping chest wound and part of their jaw having been ripped off." He shook his head sadly. "Last Halloween I ever designed such an awesome costume. Store bought plastic for me from now on. Waking up in a freezing room with a  _real_  dead body on each side was one time too many for this old canid."

Sarah, who had heard the story before, was focused on Trisha watching the conflicting emotions crossing her face. The urge to laugh was present but so was a bit of fear and a desire to bolt as far away from the hospital as she could. "Great. Now I'm going to be up all night with thoughts of being sent to the morgue while still alive. Thanks for that, Blue." The wolf barked with laughter while Sarah led her girlfriend away, chuckling a little herself.

"He loves telling that story. Even though I think it creeps himself out. I couldn't imagine being in that situation myself," Sarah shuddered. "I really can't stand going down there when I'm  _not_  mistaken for a dead body. Although if that ever happens I'm castrating the mammal who brought me down there."

"If that ever happens I'll help you do it," the brown doe laughed before giving her girlfriend a hip bump. She let out a muffled squeal when a white paw suddenly smacked her backside.

"Behave, Nurse Rose Petal. Or else I might have to seek disciplinary action." The twinkle in her eye was mirrored in Trisha's and each of them started breathing a little heavier, though they had to force down the desire to rip each others clothes off when they came around the corner and seeing the entrance to the haunted hospital wing.

Just beyond the front table where a zombie Iron Mammal sat, the lights had been shut off, the only illumination provided by flashing strobe lights that gave off a stereotypical creepy vibe. Large amount of spider webs with fake insects trapped inside decorated the doorway and there was even a bird wrapped up being fed on by an arachnid the size of Sarah's head.

"Hey Steve," the doctor greeted the bored looking wolverine. "Get stuck with entrance duty?" One of the worst jobs one could draw out of the hat was the 'greeter' position, only topped by the clean-up crew. They got to have no fun and mainly informed visitors and staff of the rules and to ask if anyone had a history of epilepsy or seizures as they would have to change the lighting from strobe to static. They didn't turn away guests simply because of a light restriction like most public haunted houses.

"Hopps. Good to see you. Yeah, 'fraid so. At least it's not clean-up like last year. Slowly moving up the totem pole," he cheered sarcastically, giving the does two thumbs up. "Maybe next year I'll be the lighting operator."

"Hang in there, Steve. I bet next year you'll get the best job of all." Looking wistfully out into nothingness, the wolverine sighed happily.

"Oh that will be the day. Randy got it this year. You know, the white tail from labor and delivery? He's got this really killer routi-" Steve cut off immediately when he saw Sarah's wide eyes and 'cut' motion across her throat before winking at her. "Gotcha. First timer I take it?" he asked, nodding towards the doe's companion.

"Yep. And don't think a little hallway is gonna frighten  _this_  doe," Trisha said haughtily. Steve only grinned evilly in response and waved his paw towards the entrance. Squaring her shoulders, the bunny strode over with purpose, ready to face whatever the staff of Savannah Central Hospital could throw at her. Sarah winked back at the wolverine before heading in behind her mate.

Once inside, Trisha's attitude changed slightly. She wasn't what she would call 'afraid' but the darkness and spooky atmosphere combined with the noises of savage mammals did make her uneasy. Sarah was no different. The whole setup was much different for rabbits who had instinctual drives to avoid experiences like these. She wagered only her sister Judy would be immune to being unsettled.

It really wasn't all that frightful to the two. A few talking puppets, a mummy walking towards them only to hit an 'imaginary' barrier, and a vampire coming out of a standing coffin were the highlights of the trip through the dark. The creepiest one had to be a rocking chair where a crazy mammal sat holding a pile of blankets that had no child in them. She kept muttering something about her child over and over while blood covered her face and front of her hospital gown. They were nearing the end and Trisha had been ready to turn and brag to the other doe that she hadn't been scared at all when out from one of the pitch black doorways a demonic killer clown leapt from it's hiding place. The antlers sprouting from the head were massive and did much to enhance the perceived threat.

Sarah, who had been expecting it, thought the performance was quite spectacular. Even she had felt a bit of fear by the display and she had known it was coming. She watched her girlfriend closely to see how badly she got scared, expecting a squeak or even a scream to come from her. What she had  _not_  expected was for Trisha's expression to lock up with her eyes wide while at the same time leaping backward, keeping her eyes on the deer. Planting her feet against the wall just as she made contact, Trisha bent her knees and launched herself towards the larger mammal. Sarah could not see the buck's eyes through the mask but she could imagine them being shocked as he watched a powerful hindpaw whipping through the air to connect with his chin and cheek, spinning him around viciously before slamming into the floor.

"Oh my god!" Sarah cried out horrified. "Randy! Can you hear me?" Trisha, who was breathing hard both from the exertion and also because of the scare, put a paw to her mouth in guilt.  _Oh crap. I killed a nurse._

Thankfully that wasn't the case. After a few moments the deer managed to right himself, shaking his head while removing the mask. "Owwww. Note to self, don't scare anymore rabbits." Rubbing the side of his chin, he looked at the two does crouched nearby. "You guys sure pack a wallop. A bit higher and I think we'd be having this discussion in a few hours when I woke up." Sarah couldn't help but roll her eyes. Randy was the clown of the hospital. Always pulling pranks and stunts, always had a joke on hoof to tell. Even after what just happened he couldn't help but break out the comedy. "Don't apologize," he said, cutting off Trisha's opening mouth. "My fault for signing up to be the final scarer. I reap what I sow and all that. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said jovially while putting his mask back on. "I see nurse Henderson coming down the hall and I have yet to scare her in three years."

The two does wished him luck before heading out the exit to the hallway where the lighting was back to normal and was clean of anymore haunting decorations. They were almost at the elevator to take them back to the lobby floor when a shrill scream echoed behind them followed by a cry of success before another cry, this time one of pain, followed. They couldn't help but smile while getting in the elevator.

It was a relatively quick ride back down before making their way through the back of the emergency department heading for Sarah's office. After a short stop at the nurses station where the doctor apologized to Evie and Trisha showed off her outfit, they arrived at her door where a plaque with her name on it rested. Opening it, the two does slipped inside and attacked each other before the door had even closed.

Their lips met hungrily while paws began to roam. Having been worked up all night and been unable to take care of it since they had left the apartment, neither was interested in taking it slow or being soft. Sarah practically tore the buttons off the front of Trisha's outfit while she had made short work of the white doe's top half of the police uniform. "What-mmmm, what do you wa-oh yes right there...what do you want to do next?!" Trisha said in between gasps as Sarah's lips worked all over her neck and her paws tended to her chest.

"Mmmm, that depends." Sarah pulled back before reaching into the back pockets of her belt. Pulling out both paws, she watched Trisha's eyes light up. Flashing two sets of pawcuffs, she dangled them in front of the brown doe. "Do you want steel or fuzzy?"

* * *

_*Begin Explicit through end of chapter*_

* * *

"Ohhhh god! Yes thats's it. Don't stop, honey." Sarah was in ecstasy. The feel of her mate's tongue on her sex was slowly driving her crazy but it was so worth it. Taking a moment to glance down, she couldn't but smile at the position the brown doe was in.

Trisha, having chosen the more kinky of the two sticking with the steel pawcuffs rather than a bit of comfort around the wrists, was busying herself with her task. Sarah had forced the brown bunny to her knees and under the desk before wheeling her chair over in front of her. Stripping off the full uniform, she stood completely nude before the other doe save for the officer belt Trisha insisted she keep on. Having sat down, she nudged the chair forward until she could feel Trisha's chin directly on her folds. Then, grabbing both of her girlfriend's wrists, she hooked them around the bottom of the chair and pawcuffed them together. Unable to move back, the chestnut furred doe found herself with her mouth and nose pressed directly into Sarah's hot slit. So excited at how she was taking charge, Sarah had become wet almost immediately, the scent of her arousal beckoning her lover to hunger for it and devour her.

"Mmmm. Oh your tongue is so wonderful. Oh right there." Feeling the soft tongue along her folds, she couldn't stop a wiggle of her hips, enjoying the sensation of fur dragging along her clit. "Just wrap your lips around my cl-oh yes! Yes! Oh god, Trisha. You are soooooo-" Sarah failed to finish her sentence as a low moan slipped from her lips. "You're gonna make me cum before too long here."

A muffled response was all she got since Trisha was pressed so tight into her sex that it was all she could do just to breathe. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Sarah cupped an ear mockingly. "Treat you like a bad girl? I think I can arrange that." Knowing how much her mate liked it rough and the fact that this wasn't the first time they had done this, she cupped both of her white paws against the back of Trisha's head and started dragging her in harder while rolling her hips. The sensations were making her utterly mad and she felt her orgasm quickly approaching. Trisha seemed to be right behind her as she could feel the moans through her folds and the small shudders the doe's body was having. "Ah. Ah. AH. AHH! Yes! Yes! Ye-"

A knock on the door caused the brown bunny to freeze and the spotted one to let out a small stream of curses. "NOOOO. Why?!"

"Sarah? You in there? It's Jo." Sarah's eyes went wide, suddenly feeling very concerned about the cougar entering and catching her in this position.

"Hold on one sec, Jo!" Looking down at the pair of ears between her legs, she leaned down as much as possible. "Don't even think about going anywhere." She grit her teeth, fighting back a moan when Trisha shook her head slightly, causing it to brush against her sex. She almost called out to Jo to come in before she realized she was naked. Glancing around wildly, she noticed her crumpled uniform on the floor, too far out of her reach so she settled for the only thing nearby. Throwing on her lab coat and buttoning it up to cover her chest, she would have to rely on her desk to cover her bottom half. "Come on in."

Joanna slipped through the now open door, moving with her usual feline grace. A few files were in her paws. "Hey Sarah. I thought you were off tonight?"

"Oh I  _AM!_ " A lick along her folds had her voice spiking while a shiver went down her spine. She was sorely tempted to drop her paw beneath the desk and flick her bunny in the ear before grabbing them and shoving her hard into her sex. Only the thought that Joanna might find it suspicious kept her from following through considering the rise in her tone already had the big cat raising a brow. Clearing her throat she tried to ignore the pleasure coming from between her legs where Trisha had resumed her licking. "Trisha and I came for the h-haunted hallway. She ended up kicking Randy in the head so I-I decided to look over a couple of, uh mmm, files while I was here."

"She kicked Randy in the head?!" Joanna started laughing heavily, thankfully masking a few moans Sarah let slip when Trisha's tongue slipped inside her. "I would have paid to see that. I told him 'killer clown' was a bad idea. Where's Trisha now?"

"Oh, she's, uh, getting a bite to eat." Feeling Trisha pause for a moment, she had to fight hard not to grin and even harder to keep from making a sound when her doe attacked her sex even more enthusiastically. "We'll probably head home after she's done. I bet after all the excitement tonight she can't wait to just crawl into BED!" Sarah let out a small squeak as her clit was pulled into Trisha's mouth and her teeth began to gently nibble on it. "Sorry Jo. I had a few too many at the 10-7 I think."

The feline nodded in apparent understanding. "It happens to even the most careful of us. Lose a bit of 'self control', right?"  _Oh you have no idea, Jo._ Sarah's blunt claws tightened into the wood leaving a few indentations that were far enough away from the cat for her to hear. "Well, I'll let you get back to it. Night Sarah."

"Night Jo." The cougar paused for a moment before letting out a large grin.

"Night Trisha." Sarah's eyes opened wide though they rolled backward and closed as Trisha attempted to respond.

"Nyth, Joph." The muffled response had the added effect of vibrating along the rabbit's folds and clit causing her to fall back into the chair. Jo simply winked before leaving, making sure to lock the handle behind her.

Sliding back slightly, Sarah looked down at her mate whose wide eyes glinted mischievously. "You are a bad, bad bunny, Rose Petal. You know that right?"

"Oh yes. I am such a bad bunny. I should be punished. But at home. For now, I need to get that 'bite' to  _eat_." Placing her brown paws on either of Sarah's legs, she licked her lips hungrily.

"Wait a second. How did you get free?"

"Oh I've always been able to pick cuffs, sweetie. I just enjoy the roughness of being tied down, especially in someplace as hot as this. But now," she shoved hard on either thigh, pushing her bun's chocolate legs wide apart, "I'm in the mood for a feast." Diving in, she attacked Sarah's sex mercilessly, causing the white doe to writhe and cry out


End file.
